Bangladesh's foreign-trade landscape changes a lot as Sonamasjid land port has become the largest trading frontier in recent years, surpassing Benapole and Burimari ports, according to insiders.
Official statistics show Sonamasjid port in Chapainawabganj has handled the largest volume of export and import goods for past fiscal years than that of its peers Benapole and Burimari.
Earlier, Benapole and the Burimari land ports were dominating the Bangladesh's foreign trade.
Experts and traders on Saturday said the volume of both regional and bilateral trade of Bangladesh, especially with Nepal and Bhutan, might pick up through Sonamasjid.
Despite nominal facilities at Sonamasjid compared to Benapole, Burimari and Bhomra ports, the western cross-border entry and exit point has become the largest harbour in Bangladesh.
The infrastructure at Sonamasjid port is poorer than that at Benapole and Burimari, according to them.
Mahadipur under Malda district of West Bengal is opposite to Sonamasjid port.
An FE analysis has found that foreign trade through Sonamasjid has picked up from fiscal year (FY) 2022-23 after a falling trend in trade through Burimari and Benapole ports.
According to Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA) data, Sonamasjid handled 3.43-million tonnes of export-import goods in FY2023, which grew to 3.74 million tonnes in FY2024.
On the other hand, the previously largest land port of Burimari in Lalmonirhat handled 3.29 million tonnes of goods in FY2023 and 3.127 million tonnes in FY2024.
Meanwhile, Benapole facilitated 2.54 million tonnes of goods in FY2023 and 2.56 million tonnes in FY2024, reads the BLPA data.
Burimari has emerged as the busiest and largest land port in the country in the last one decade in terms of facilitating foreign trade through handling the highest amount of goods and trucks.
Sonamasjid port is run by a private company under a BOT (build, operate and transfer) basis.
Bangladesh has at least 23 land customs stations. Of them, Benapole, Bhomra, Burimari, Akhaura and Nakugaon ports are operated by BLPA and Sonamasjid, Hili, Teknaf, Bibirbazar and Banglabandha by private port operators.
BLPA member (traffic) DM Atiqur Rahman said products like rice, wheat, onion, fruit and fly ash have been imported in higher volume in recent years, boosting overall foreign trade through Sonamasjid.
Besides, the export volume through this north-western frontier has witnessed a rise over the years, he told the FE.
Major exportables through Sonamasjid are jute and jute goods, cement and battery.
Bhomra port in Satkhira has also emerged as one of the key land ports.
According to Mr Rahman, Benapole has had optimal facilities for foreign trade among all local land ports.
Policy Exchange Bangladesh executive chairman Dr M Masrur Reaz says it is encouraging to note that Sonamasjid has emerged as the highest goods-handling port overshadowing Benapole despite its lower facilities.
The change of the foreign trade landscape has had created a good hope for Bangladesh for enhancing regional trade. Domestic import and export with Nepal and Bhutan through this port may increase, he told the FE.
The government will have to improve both the hard and soft infrastructure of these emerging land ports like Sonamasjid, according to Dr Reaz.
Another BLPA official said facilities like infrastructure, warehouse and customs automation have been developed a lot in the newly emerged ports.
"The government is still working to upgrade the port facilities," he cited.
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