A recent report has recommended the complete closure of three unprofitable and inactive land ports under the Bangladesh Land Port Authority, which operates under the Ministry of Shipping, along with the suspension of operational activities at one additional land port.
A verification committee, formed by the ministry to assess the viability of eight land ports, conducted inspections and evaluated various factors such as infrastructure, facilities, economic feasibility, and overall functionality. Based on their findings, they submitted a report to Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain, the advisor to the Ministry of Shipping.
The land ports under review are:
- Nakugaon Land Port (Sherpur)
- Gobrakura-Karaitali Land Port (Mymensingh)
- Dhanua Kamalpur Land Port (Jamalpur)
- Balla Land Port (Habiganj)
- Birol Land Port (Dinajpur)
- Chilahati Land Port (Nilphamari)
- Daulatganj Land Port (Chuadanga)
- Tegamukh Land Port (Rangamati)
After assuming office, Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain personally visited several land ports across the country. Following his inspection, he directed the formation of a high-level committee to investigate and report on the status of unprofitable and non-operational land ports, many of which were established under the previous administration.
In response, the Ministry of Shipping established a six-member committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Shipping, the Finance Division, the Road Transport and Highways Division, the National Board of Revenue, and the Bangladesh Land Port Authority. This committee was tasked with assessing the functionality and viability of eight selected land ports.
Following extensive inspections and analysis, the committee submitted its report, recommending that no further infrastructure development is needed for Chilahati Land Port (Nilphamari), Daulatganj Land Port (Chuadanga), and Tegamukh Land Port (Rangamati), as they lack sufficient economic activity or trade potential.
Additionally, the report suggested that operational activities at Balla Land Port (Habiganj) remain suspended due to the lack of supporting infrastructure and roads on the Indian side. It also recommended consolidating the activities of the Gobrakura-Karaitali Land Port (Mymensingh) into a single location instead of maintaining two separate operational sites.
On the other hand, Nakugaon Land Port (Sherpur) was found to be economically viable, with ongoing trade activities. The committee suggested further enhancing operations at this port. Similarly, Dhanua Kamalpur Land Port (Jamalpur), which has completed infrastructure and previously had active trade, could be reopened with minimal staffing and efforts to increase exports.
For Birol Land Port (Dinajpur), the report advised continuing import-export activities via the existing railway system. Additionally, it recommended requesting India to introduce immigration facilities at the port. Since Birol operates under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreement, the Bangladesh Land Port Authority does not need to allocate additional funds for its operations.
