Highlights:
- Bangladesh has 24 government-run land ports
- 8 are inactive or unprofitable
- Chilahati in Nilphamari, Doulatganj in Chuadanga, Tegamukh in Rangamati closed
- Balla in Rangamati operations suspended due to incomplete Indian-side infrastructure
- Nakugaon, Gobrakura-Koroitoli, Dhanua Kamalpur, and Birol land ports inactive too
The government has decided to shut three unprofitable land ports on the Bangladesh-India border and suspend operations at another, citing the absence of trade, immigration activities and basic infrastructure.
The ports to be closed are Chilahati in Nilphamari, Doulatganj in Chuadanga, and Tegamukh in Rangamati, all under the Bangladesh Land Port Authority. Officials said the ports have no commercial prospects, and that closing them would prevent wasteful investment.
Meanwhile, operations at the Balla land port in Habiganj, will be put on hold due to a lack of facilities on the Indian side.
The decision was taken on 28 July at an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by planning ministry Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud, in presence of officials from the Planning Division, shipping ministry, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission and other related agencies.
These four land ports are among eight identified as unprofitable and inactive. These also include Nakugaon in Sherpur, Gobrakura-Koroitoli in Mymensingh, Dhanua Kamalpur in Jamalpur, and Birol in Dinajpur.
According to shipping ministry sources, Bangladesh currently has 24 government-run land ports.
To decide on matters related to these ports, a shipping ministry committee inspected the sites before submitting a detailed report to the inter-ministerial meeting.
Earlier, an Advisory Council meeting on 22 June reviewed a shipping ministry proposal to close the three ports and suspend Balla’s operations.
As per the inter-ministerial meeting minutes, Chilahati, Doulatganj and Tegamukh currently have no import-export or immigration activity, and no land or infrastructure.
Furthermore, as there is no commercial potential in the foreseeable future, a decision has been made to close them to avoid unprofitable investments, the minutes stated.
In the case of Balla, Bangladesh has built infrastructure, but the corresponding facilities in India’s Paharmura remain incomplete, preventing operations.
The meeting recommended keeping Balla closed until the Indian side is developed, while also exploring alternative uses for the site. It also decided to take steps to prevent unnecessary infrastructure construction at other unprofitable land ports.
Chilahati land port
The Chilahati land port, in Domar upazila of Nilphamari, lies opposite the Haldibari Land Customs Station in Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India.
Though declared a land port on 28 July 2013, no land has been purchased nor any infrastructure built for the port, according to the shipping ministry report. On the Indian side, there are no port-related infrastructure facilities, and no authorised posts or manpower are in operation at this point, it said.
The location has a rail link with India, allowing the movement of goods by train. Moreover, the Burimari land port also falls under this jurisdiction.
The committee, noting the absence of Indian facilities at Haldibari, recommended closure of Chilahati, as Lalmonirhat’s Burimari port is only 60km away.
Doulatganj land port
Situated at the Changkhali border of Chuadanga’s Jibannagar upazila, Doulatganj was declared a land port on 31 July 2013, decades after its customs station was shut in 1965.
Currently, neither the customs station nor the land port is operational.
The shipping ministry’s report noted that the Bangladesh Land Port Authority does not own any land or infrastructure at the site. Also there are no Indian facilities across the border. The nearest port, Darshana land port, is around 15 kilometres away, while Benapole land port is about 70 kilometres from the location.
Given the proximity to Darshana and the absence of necessary facilities on both sides of the border, the committee recommended closing the port.
Tegamukh land port
Located in Barkal upazila of Rangamati, Tegamukh customs station was declared a land port on 30 June 2013. Opposite Tegamukh, on the Indian side, lies Demagri in the state of Mizoram.
The Bangladesh Land Port Authority does not own any land or infrastructure at the site, and there is no road connectivity between Bangladesh and India in this area. The port has no operational Land Customs Station (LCS), and there are currently no import-export or immigration activities, according to the on-site inspection report.
As there is also no road link to the Indian side, the committee recommended closing the port.
Balla land port
According to the report, the Balla land port, declared a land port on 23 March 2016, is located in Kedar Kot area of Gazipur union under Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj district. On the Indian side, opposite the port, lies the Paharmura (Khowai) Land Customs Station.
A total of 13 acres of land has been acquired at a cost of Tk48.89 crore, and the necessary infrastructure has already been constructed. However, the report stated that due to the absence of infrastructure and a connecting road on the Indian side, the newly built port facilities have not yet been put into operation.
While the Indian authorities have customs and immigration services at the Paharmura point opposite Balla, operations at the new site have not started. Currently, import and export activities are being carried out through the old Balla customs station.
