Transport crisis hits importers at Benapole
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Tuesday
January 31, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
Transport crisis hits importers at Benapole

Transport

TBS Report
11 December, 2021, 11:00 am
Last modified: 11 December, 2021, 10:59 am

Related News

  • Import slowdown to affect economic growth: ADB country head
  • State banks spend 80% of their forex for govt imports in H1
  • 1250MT sugar on 42 trucks from India stuck at Benapole for a month
  • Importers in a bind as sample goods pile on Ctg custom's lone chemist
  • Diesel import from India via pipeline from June: Nasrul Hamid

Transport crisis hits importers at Benapole

Triggered by higher oil prices, the increase in the price of tires, other parts, and ferry fares, is leading to higher transport costs

TBS Report
11 December, 2021, 11:00 am
Last modified: 11 December, 2021, 10:59 am
Transport crisis hits importers at Benapole

Highlights:

  • Transport fare nearly doubled in a month
  • Affecting import-goods transportation across the country
  • Production and supply chains disrupted
  • Truck owners preferring lighter goods, causing congestion of  good-laden containers

Transportation of import-goods is hindered at Benapole, the biggest land port in the country, due to a crisis of trucks and excessive fare increases.

With increased imports from India in recent days the transportation dilemma has morphed into a crisis for importers, transport agents and C&F agencies. They are facing difficulty in transporting imported goods to designated destinations across the country on time, which is hampering the production and supply chains of various industries. 

Sources say the oil-price hike triggered a price increase of tires, other parts, and ferry fares, leading to a sudden jump in truck transport fares.

As imports of lightweight goods, including cotton and raw material for export-oriented industries have increased in recent days, truck owners and workers have shown more interest in transporting these items over other imported goods, according to people associated with imports and exports.

Stating reasons for this inclination towards lightweight goods, transport people say they get more fare for transporting these goods and the transport vehicle is saved from taking heavy loads, which also allows the trucks to reach their destination faster.

Transporting light goods also cuts waiting time at ferry terminals, according to them.

Azim Uddin Gazi, general secretary of the Benapole Transport Agency Owners Association, said fares for transporting goods across the country from Benapole port have nearly doubled in a month.

"Oil price hike, increased ferry fare and toll collection, long traffic jams at the ferry terminal and non-availability of goods on return journey from Dhaka, have led transport owners to suddenly increase truck fares, which in turn has caused the crisis," said Azim Uddin.

"Minimum truck fare for transporting goods from Benapole to different parts of Dhaka used to range from Tk 20,000 – Tk 24,000, which has increased to Tk 30,000 - Tk32,000. Similarly, the rent of a covered van has increased from Tk 25,000 - Tk 35,000, " said Atiquzzaman Sony, president of Benapole Transport Owners' Association.

"To add to the hassle of importers, the number of available trucks and covered vans is not sufficient and transporting goods from Benapole port to other parts of the country is becoming increasingly difficult," he added.

Importer Iqbal Ahmed of Talukder Traders in the capital's Nawabpur area said all his chemicals are imported from India.

On 15 November a consignment for his company arrived at Benapole port but he is yet to transport the goods to his factory due to extremely high truck fares.

Another, importer, Faizur Rahman of Rose Trading in Keraniganj, is facing a similar predicament. He said, "If we transport imported printing ink with additional truck fare, it will cut into invested capital, let alone make profit out of it."

Biplob Saha, commercial manager of Quality Can Industries of Narayanganj's Vulta, Rupganj said one of their inbound consignments is also stuck at Benapole port and is hurting their business badly.

"Our factory is on the verge of shutting down due to lack of raw materials as we couldn't bring in the necessary imports due to high truck fares and a transport crisis.  

Abdul Latif, joint secretary of the Benapole Importers and Exporters Association, said that traders import goods in the hope of making a profit but the cost of transportation has increased so much that they are having to incur losses.

"Fearing that the raw material will be spoiled, some importers are forced to release the goods with extra transport fares," he added

Abdur Rashid, joint commissioner of Benapole Customs, said the current import rate has increased significantly.

Currently, 350-400 import trucks arrive at Benapole every day from what used to be 150-200 trucks before the pandemic situation improved.

"This has pushed up the demand for trucks and covered vans," Mr Rashid said.

Bangladesh / Top News

Benapole / Transport Crisis / Importers / Import / Benapole Land Port / Benapole port / Benapole traders

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Bangladesh's GDP growth to stay below pre-pandemic level even in FY27: IMF
    Bangladesh's GDP growth to stay below pre-pandemic level even in FY27: IMF
  • Representational photo: TBS
    IMF's blueprint for Bangladesh's upper middle income goal
  • Photo: Screenshot
    ChatGPT explains why a country seeks IMF loan

MOST VIEWED

  • Metro rail may reduce the need for people to live near workplaces. Photo: TBS
    Tk2.46cr earned from metro rail since opening
  • Representational Image
    Dhaka underground metro rail: Airport-Kamalapur in just 25 minutes
  • File photo. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate work on the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge on 29 November. Photo: UNB
    Bangabandhu Rail Bridge will open earlier than expected: Railways minister
  • Representational image. Photo: Collected
    PM to open underground metro construction on 2 Feb
  • No new roads before national election: Obaidul Quader
    No new roads before national election: Obaidul Quader
  • Photo: TBS
    Transport strike in Sylhet from Monday to demand release of Chhatra Dal leader

Related News

  • Import slowdown to affect economic growth: ADB country head
  • State banks spend 80% of their forex for govt imports in H1
  • 1250MT sugar on 42 trucks from India stuck at Benapole for a month
  • Importers in a bind as sample goods pile on Ctg custom's lone chemist
  • Diesel import from India via pipeline from June: Nasrul Hamid

Features

Photo: Collected

Tips to incorporate sustainable construction

5h | Habitat
Photo: Noor-A-Alam

How did mud walls find their way into urban designs?

7h | Habitat
Spotify is among the tech platforms that saw record growth during Covid lockdowns
Photo: DW

Could tech layoffs spread to rest of US economy?

10h | Panorama
Leepu realised his love for cars from a young age and for the last 40 years, he has transformed, designed and customised hundreds of cars. Photo: Collected

'I am not crazy about cars anymore': Nizamuddin Awlia Leepu

10h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Sunflower cultivation is becoming popular in Faridpur

Sunflower cultivation is becoming popular in Faridpur

2h | TBS Stories
Is Djokovic the statistical G.O.A.T?

Is Djokovic the statistical G.O.A.T?

4h | TBS SPORTS
Two more factories of the country got platinum certificate.

Two more factories of the country got platinum certificate.

21h | TBS Today
Iconic villains of Bollywood

Iconic villains of Bollywood

22h | TBS Entertainment

Most Read

1
Bapex calls candidates for job test 9 years after advert!
Bangladesh

Bapex calls candidates for job test 9 years after advert!

2
Illustration: TBS
Banking

16 banks at risk of capital shortfall if top 3 borrowers default

3
Representational Image
Banking

Cash-strapped Islami, Al-Arafah and National turn to Sonali Bank for costly fund

4
Photo: Collected
Energy

8 Ctg power plants out of production

5
Photo: Saqlain Rizve
Bangladesh

Bangladeshi university students identified as problematic users of Facebook, internet: Study

6
Photo: Collected
Splash

Hansal Mehta responds as Twitter user calls him 'shameless' for making Faraaz

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net