Benapole Revenue Target Cut 6% as India Trade Slumps and Customs Fraud Cases Surge

Benapole, July 25, 2026 — The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has set a 6 percent lower revenue collection target for Benapole Customs House for the current fiscal year, due to a fall in trade with India through Bangladesh's largest land port. 📉

💰 However, this year's target — Tk 10,588 crore — still seems high considering the previous year's collection of only Tk 6,559 crore against a target of Tk 11,290 crore.

📊 Revenue Target vs Actual Collection

The gap between targets and actual collection reveals the scale of the trade slump: 📊

• 📅 Last year target: Tk 11,290 crore
• 📅 Last year actual: Tk 6,559 crore (only 58% of target achieved)
• 📅 This year target: Tk 10,588 crore (6% lower than last year)
• ❌ Gap: Even the reduced target is 62% higher than last year's actual collection

📦 India Trade Decline — 6% Drop in Imports

Imports from India through the port fell by 6 percent year-on-year to 12.05 lakh tonnes in the last fiscal year. 📦

📋 Reasons for the decline, according to port officials:

• 🚫 Trade restrictions imposed by India — Bilateral trade barriers increased
• 😤 Bilateral tensions — Political and diplomatic strains affected trade flows
• ⚙️ Operational disruptions — Port operations affected by various issues
• 🔍 Stricter anti-evasion measures — Port authorities curbed tax evasion and irregularities

🔍 Customs Fraud — 130 Cases in 6 Months

Stricter measures taken by port authorities to curb tax evasion have yielded significant results. Authorities detected at least 130 cases of customs fraud at Benapole in the past six months. 🔍

📋 Additional enforcement actions:

• 📦 4 separate cases filed over alleged smuggling of goods worth approximately Tk 20 crore
• 👥 57 individuals named as accused, including:
  • 🏛️ Customs officials
  • 🏭 Port authorities
  • 🛡️ Members of various security agencies
  • 💼 Representatives of the business community

💬 Industry Response — "No Alternative to Transparency"

Aminul Haque, Vice-President of the Benapole Importers and Exporters Association, emphasized the need for both trade revitalization and transparency: 💬

"There is no alternative to revitalising import trade and ensuring transparency to achieve the next revenue collection target."

📋 He called for:

• 📊 Stronger monitoring to prevent smuggling and customs duty evasion
• 🔄 Trade revitalization — Need to boost legitimate import/export through Benapole
• 🤝 Government-industry cooperation — Joint efforts to improve compliance

🏛️ Customs House Response — "Zero Tolerance"

Rahat Hossain, Assistant Commissioner of Benapole Customs House, stated that customs officials were making every effort to increase revenue collection: 🏛️

💬 "We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy against customs duty evasion and all forms of irregularities. Alongside departmental and legal action against those involved in fraud, financial penalties are also being imposed."

🔍 Wider Context — Bangladesh-India Trade Relations

The Benapole trade slump reflects broader tensions in Bangladesh-India trade relations: 🌏

• 📦 Benapole is Bangladesh's largest land port — A key gateway for India trade
• 💰 Revenue impact — Lower trade volume means lower customs revenue
• 🏭 Supply chain effects — Bangladeshi importers face higher costs from reduced trade
• 🤝 Bilateral relations — Trade restrictions signal broader diplomatic tensions
• 🔄 Trade diversification — Bangladesh may need to diversify import sources

For Benapole — which has long been a critical trade gateway between Bangladesh and India — the combination of declining trade volumes and rising customs fraud presents a dual challenge. The NBR's 6% lower target acknowledges the reality of the trade slump, but the gap between target and actual collection suggests that more fundamental reforms may be needed to restore the port's revenue potential. 🇧🇩