Chattogram:The Chattogram Customs House has collected approximately Tk 28,000 crore in revenue during the first four months of the 2026-27 fiscal year, driven by imports of fuel oil and luxury goods.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, container handling at Chattogram Port lagged behind last year's pace, but total cargo volume and vessel arrivals showed slight improvement. Business leaders are optimistic that the government's recent incentives will enhance import and export volumes.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has set an ambitious target of Taka 1.32 lakh crore for the Chattogram Customs House for the fiscal year. Sharif Md. Al Amin, assistant commissioner of the Chattogram Customs House, reported that Tk 27,948 crore was collected from imports through the port in the first four months. Of this, Tk 5,894 crore was collected in October alone, although collections in July, August, and September were higher.
Despite the NBR's target of Tk 42,637 crore for this period, the actual collection fell short. The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) significantly contributed to the revenue, being the single largest source by paying Tk 3,448 crore in fuel oil import duties over the four months, with Tk 1,268 crore paid in October.
Al Amin highlighted the customs authorities' efforts to meet their targets, emphasizing that most revenue comes from fuel, industrial machinery, and luxury consumer goods. During the same period, the port handled 1,141,179 TEUs of containers, slightly below the previous year's level. However, cargo handling and vessel berthing increased modestly, with the port managing 45.3 million metric tons of cargo and berthing 1,425 vessels.
Syed Refayet Hamim, secretary of the Chattogram Port Authority, noted a two percent growth in cargo, container, and vessel handling compared to last year and expected this trend to continue through December. Akhtar Parvez, a director of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that achieving revenue targets would require increased economic activity in the domestic market, especially in major wholesale markets.
SM Saiful Alam, president of the Chattogram Customs Agents Association, indicated that government initiatives have resolved issues within the banking sector, boosting trade in major wholesale markets and encouraging import-export activity. As complications with Letters of Credit (LCs) and banking processes are resolved, businesses feel more encouraged to import, which should lead to increased revenue collection.