Benapole customs house has strongly pleaded for introducing container trains between Benapole and Petrapole land-ports in a bid to reducing cost of transportation.
The customs authority also alleged that prices of products, imported through the Benapole port, go up due to extortion by 'syndicates' comprising some people on both sides of the border.
They said frequent suspension of trade transactions through the largest land-port is also planned by a vested quarter. Such disruptive activities hinder export-import activities and the government's revenue earnings.
Introduction of cargo movement on the route through rail wagons/ containers can resolve the problems, they added.
The Benapole customs house, on Thursday, urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to take necessary measures in this connection.
The customs commissioner of Benapole Mohammad Belal Hossain Chowdhury sent a letter to the NBR chairman, apprising the latter of the outcome of a recent a tripartite meeting between the customs house, the port authority and the clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents.
Following queries from the board, the customs house said it has full capacity to handle rail cargo.
Earlier, in the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) meeting on March 12-13, Benapole customs house also proposed the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to introduce the side door container rail cargo on Benapole-Petrapole route.
"The central government of India has welcomed the proposal. We are now waiting for consent of the West Bengal government in this regard," Mr Belal Hossain told the FE.
Consumers are paying higher cost for the products, imported through trucks on the route, due to extortion by some syndicates.
"Launching rail route cargo movement is the only way to break the syndicates as well as to reduce the cost of imports through the land-port."
He, however, said Bongaon goods transporters association, on Saturday, said their business will be hampered, if goods are transported via railway.
"They are one of those syndicates, involved in extorting goods-laden trucks," he said.
Currently, cargoes do enter in a limited scale using rail route, but there is no permission to unload those at Benapole port.
Benapole is the only land-port of the country that can release perishable goods in three hours and industrial goods in one day, the letter said.
The customs house has already developed capacity to handle and accommodate goods, imported from India using rail route, he added.
In a meeting on May 11, the customs house, the port authority and C&F agents agreed to transport goods through rail route.
The land-port authority has agreed to develop the required infrastructure for this with its own funds.
In an inspection, the Beanpole customs found that they will have to fill up land a part of the two-kilometre railway track running between two land ports.
There are already two 90-feet and 60-feet roads on both sides of the rail route.
In the letter to NBR, the Benapole customs commissioner said the existing capacity, manpower and infrastructure of the customs house are adequate for handling rail route containers.
It has 32 sheds for storing perishable goods, chemicals, raw materials and food items. It also has nine acres of transshipment yards, yards for storing some 4,000 chassis, two 16-acre heavy open yards and four sheds for storing chemical goods.
It can handle some 12,000 FCL (Full Container Load) containers as per off-dock policy. Some 20 acres out of 100 acres area of the customs house are capable of handling 40-feet load container with heavy compaction.
"The quality of products and cost of carrying will reduce, if the importers can use rail cargo on the route," the customs commissioner said.
The priority is to cut cost of transportation, so that consumers can get goods at cheaper prices, he noted.
Some 85 per cent of the land route trade of Bangladesh is conducted through Benapole port.
doulot_akter@yahoo.com