Staff Reporter:
Although neighbouring India has withdrawn the transshipment facility for Bangladesh, the abrupt move is expected not to have a significant impact on the country’s exports.
Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said this while talking to reporters at his secretariat office in Dhaka on Thursday, two days after India revoked the transshipment facility for Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Wednesday that the cancellation of the transshipment facility will not affect Dhaka’s exports to Nepal and Bhutan.
“We will do our best to get rid of the situation through our own management. We aim to enhance our commercial capacity to stay competitive in the global market and it is achievable,” he said.
The government is committed to removing all barriers to boost the country’s export volume, he said.
Bangladesh used to transship 40 to 50 tonnes of goods through using India’s three land ports, but the government will find alternative ways to continue the business, he said.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), in its circular on 8 April, said that it rescinded its earlier circular on 29 June 2020 in respect of the transshipment of export cargo from Bangladesh to third countries through Land Customs Stations (LCSs) to ports or airports in containers or closed-bodied trucks.
The 2020 circular permitted the transshipment of export cargo from Bangladesh to third countries using Indian Land Customs Stations en route to Indian ports and airports to enable smooth trade flows for Bangladesh’s exports to countries such as Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar.
