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Courier-service providers want recognition as a service industry with the intent to boost their contribution to trade and economy, according to officials concerned.
The Courier Services Association of Bangladesh (CSAB) has recently sent a letter to the commerce ministry, demanding necessary steps to this effect.
The sector has been delivering courier services covering the entire country, including remote areas, from 1983 with goodwill, it claims.
The market size of the sector is about Tk 70 billion, according to the letter.
An estimated 0.2-million people are involved in the sector directly. Besides, around 0.6-million people are serving their lives through the sector.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the CSAB says, the couriers have worked as front-liners transporting goods and life-saving stuff, the country, the CSAB said.
Despite its major contribution to trade and the economy, according to insiders, the sector still remains unrecognised as a service industry.
Currently, there are an estimated 480 courier companies in the country. Of them, 139 are CSAB members.
Seventy-two out of 139 CSAB members are registered with the licensing authorities concerned, they added.
More than 40 document-based courier companies closed their business, thanks to the introduction of online communication service in the country.
A commerce ministry official said, "We received a letter from the CSAB about the recognition of the sector as an industry. We're working on the issue."
CSAB president and Sundarban Courier Service's vice-chairman Hafizur Rahman Pulok could not be contacted over the phone for his comment on the issue.
All in all, the courier service sector is getting expanded in the country but it is operating uncontrolled, a source concerned said.
Meanwhile, the central bank asked the country's all financial institutions (FIs) on Tuesday to refrain from taking services from non-registered mailing operators and courier services.
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) circular said taking services form such unregistered couriers is prohibited under the Post Office Act of 1898 and the Mailing Operators and Courier Services Rules 2013.
The BB circular said: "The directive is to refrain from taking any service from the unregistered courier service organisations".
The BB Department of Financial Institutions and Markets issued the circular, signed by its general manager Md. Julker Nayen.