Ongoing customs strike halts freight at Benapole land port

The movement of exports and imports at Jashore's Benapole land port remained suspended on Tuesday as a union strike continued over a list of demands, including an amendment to the rules introduced by the National Board of Revenue, reports bdnews24.com.

The strike called by the Customs Clearing & Forwarding Agents Association affected 11 revenue stations, including Benapole, on Tuesday, said Aksir Molla, an official of the cargo section of Benapole Customs House.

"Exports and imports have been halted since morning due to the strike," he said.

The union held rallies and distributed leaflets among its members in a peaceful protest, according to Shamsur Rahman, president of the association in Benapole.

Shamsur and the organisation's Secretary-General Sultan Hossain Khan called the strike at a media briefing in Dhaka on Sunday.

Shamsur said the authorities did not pay any heed when demands were previously made to amend the Customs Agent Licensing Rules 2020.