Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South) to expedite and facilitate customs bond related services and provide policy support to maintain the competitiveness of the garment industry. On 08 September 2025, a BGMEA delegation led by BGMEA Director Faisal Samad met with Mohammad Hasmat Ali, Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South) at his office and made this request. The other members of the delegation are BGMEA Director Sumaiya Islam and Director KaziMizanur Rahman, a press release said.
During the meeting, BGMEA Director Faisal Samad handed over a letter (signed by BGMEA President) to Commissioner Mohammad Hasmat Ali, requesting the Commissioner, Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South) and Commissioner, Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North) to simplify the customs bond related procedures of the garment industry and provide policy support on behalf of BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan. In light of the above letter, they discussed the simplification, speeding up and harassment-free customs procedures to maintain the competitiveness of the garment industry.
The directors of BGMEA requested the Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South) to take steps to simplify the annual audit process of garment exporting companies, expedite the settlement of non-UD back-to-back L/Cs included through amendments by 30/06/2022, maintain the bond register through CBMS software, not impose cutting supervision conditions based solely on suspicion without proper reasons, and simplify the process of adding HS code to bond licenses.
The BGMEA directors also drew the attention of the Commissioner to some policy support for the industry. These include simplifying the process of importing raw materials on FOC basis; not harassing the government with VAT in various service activities (including washing, printing, dyeing and embroidery) from bonded garment exporting companies to non-bonded companies (since a policy decision has been taken on VAT exemption and the process of issuing an order in this regard is also under process at the National Board of Revenue); keeping the supply of goods and services from bonded indirect exporting companies to non-bonded direct exporting companies free from complications, simplifying subcontracting activities, etc.
In the meeting, BGMEA leaders requested the Commissioner to take urgent initiatives to reconstitute a Joint Working Committee comprising representatives of all stakeholders, including all Customs Houses, Bond Commissionerates, National Board of Revenue and Customs Intelligence Department, as previously done, to solve the short-term and long-term problems of the garment industry.
In the meeting, Commissioner of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South), Mohammad Hasmat Ali said that instructions have already been given to the concerned to make customs-related services faster and easier to ensure a favorable business environment. He assured the BGMEA leaders that any problems arising through mutual discussions between Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South) and BGMEA will be resolved as soon as possible and overall cooperation will be provided to achieve the export target by simplifying the activities. Senior officials of Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South) were also present at the time.
