Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North) to facilitate and expedite customs bond services and provide policy support to maintain the competitiveness of the garment industry, a press release said.
23 September 2025, a 3-member delegation from BGMEA, led by BGMEA Director Faisal Samad, met with Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North) Mia Md. Abu Obaida at his office and made this request. Additional Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North) EdipBilla and Deputy Commissioner H.M. AhsanulKabir were present at the time.
It is worth mentioning that on 08 September 2025, a BGMEA delegation led by BGMEA Director Faisal Samad met with the Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South) Mohammad Hasmat Ali at his office with the same objective. In continuation of that,On Tuesday’s meeting of the BGMEA delegation with the Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North) is underway.
During the meeting, BGMEA Director Faisal Samad handed over a letter. In this letter, signed by BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, the Commissioners of Dhaka (South) and Dhaka (North) Bond Commissionerates have been requested to simplify the customs bond process and provide policy support for the garment industry. The main objective of the discussion was to maintain the competitiveness of the garment industry, for which emphasis was placed on making customs processes fast, easy and hassle-free.
BGMEA Director Faisal Samad submitted several specific requests to the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North). These include:
Simplify the annual audit process of garment exporters. Expeditious settlement of back to back L/Cs other than UDs amended by 30 June 2022. Simplify maintenance of bond registers through CBMS software. Do not impose conditions for cutting supervision based on suspicion only. Simplify the process of adding H.S. code to bond licenses.
In addition, the attention of the Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North) was also drawn to some important policy support issues: Some of these are:-
Simplify the process of importing raw materials on FOC basis.
Stop VAT harassment in the case of receiving services from bonded institutions to non-bonded institutions (e.g. washing, printing).
To keep the supply of goods and services from bonded concealed exporters to non-bonded direct exporters hassle-free.
To facilitate subcontracting activities. In the meeting, two general members of the BGMEA delegation highlighted the problems faced by their organizations regarding customs bond related services and reviewed the solutions to the issues.
The meeting requested for reconstitution of a Joint Working Committee to resolve the short and long term problems of the garment industry. This committee will include representatives of all Customs Houses, Bond Commissionerate, National Board of Revenue and Customs Intelligence Department, which will help in coming up with effective solutions in coordination with all stakeholders.
Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North), Mia Md. Abu Obaida, said that several important steps have been taken to facilitate the export activities of the garment industry and ensure a conducive business environment.
He mentioned that instructions have already been given to the concerned officials to make customs related services faster and easier. He assured the BGMEA leaders that any problem would be resolved quickly through mutual discussions between the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North) and BGMEA. Promising to provide all-round cooperation in achieving the export target, he said that they would always strive to simplify the process.
