Burimari Bangladesh's busiest land port in handling foreign trade

Burimari land port in Lalmonirhat has emerged as the busiest land port in the country in terms of facilitating foreign trade, as it has handled the highest amount of goods and trucks over the last few years.

On the other hand, Bhomra land port in Satkhira has emerged as the second busiest port in Bangladesh.

However, Benapole land port in Jessore, the largest port in the country, has stood third when it comes to facilitating the export and import of goods over the past few years, as per data of the Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA).

Although Benapole is the largest land port in terms of its facilities, the Burimari port has emerged as the busiest in handling goods in the current period, said a senior official of the BLPA.

Benapole land port used to handle 70-80 per cent of the total foreign trade through land ports in Bangladesh.

According to the BLPA, the country's northern frontier Burimari land port authority handled 4.78 million tonnes of goods for export and import in the fiscal year 2021 (FY2021).

In the same period, a total 3.62 million tonnes of products were handled by the Bhomra land port authority.

In FY2021, the Sonamasjid land port authority handled 3.35 million tonnes of products and emerged as the 3rd busiest land port.

On the other hand, a total of 3.07 million tonnes of products crossed the Benapole port in FY2021.

Besides, the Hilli land port has been placed at the 5th position as the authority cleared 2.15 million tonnes of goods in FY2021.

Bangladesh's foreign trade with two neighbours, India and Myanmar, is being facilitated through 12 ports.

The FE analysis has found that Burimari land port has been handling the highest amount of export-import goods since FY2017.

The Burimari port authority cleared 3.28 million tonnes of products and 11,041 product-laden trucks in FY2020, 8.23 million tonnes in FY2019, 7.05 tonnes in FY2018 and 2.44 million tonnes in FY2017, BLPA data showed.

The Bhomra land port authority handled 2.72 million tonnes of products in FY2020, 2.51 million tonnes in FY2019, 4.77 million tonnes in FY2018 and 2.38 million tonnes in FY2017.

On the other hand, the Benapole port authority cleared 2.35 million tonnes of products in FY2020, 2.58 million tonnes in FY2019, 2.34 million tonnes in FY2018 and 1.72 million tonnes in FY2017, as per the BLPA data.

A BLPA official told the FE that the import of rice, wheat, stone, onion, garlic and some other products from India was being facilitated at a higher rate through the Burimari port in recent times, enhancing the importance of the port in the northern frontier.

He said Bhomra, Sonamasjid and Hilli ports had also emerged as the important ports in the Indian borders as lots of products were now being exported from Bangladesh as well as imported from India in recent years.

The port facilities, including infrastructure, warehouse and customs automation, have been developed a lot in those newly emerged ports, added the BLPA official.

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