Logistics Streamlined: Bangladesh Scraps Mandatory Physical Inspections on Goods from Pakistan

Sources revealed on Wednesday 9 Oct that the Bangladesh National Board of Revenue (NBR) has officially notified Customs houses across the country of this policy change. The previous requirement for manual inspections of all consignments from Pakistan, which fell under the National Selectivity Criteria of the ASYCUDA World system, is no longer considered necessary, signaling a shift towards more efficient customs operations. Pakistan has also been formally informed of the update.

These stringent inspections were originally imposed by the Hasina Wajid government, which was ousted in August this year. The recent change follows a high-level meeting between Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Younis during the United Nations General Assembly summit in New York.

According to the NBR’s communication, customs officials, particularly at the assistant and deputy commissioner levels, were spending excessive time on shipments flagged for the “Red Lane.” This classification, part of the risk management framework, required both document reviews and physical inspections. However, these inspections were not producing substantial results, prompting a recommendation from Dhaka Customs House to remove Pakistani goods from the National Selectivity Criteria. Under the ASYCUDA World system, cargo is categorized by risk. Low-risk goods move through the “Green Lane” without inspections, while moderate-risk shipments go through the “Yellow Lane,” requiring document review. High-risk shipments, which previously included all goods from Pakistan, were routed through the “Red Lane” for intensive checks. With the new directive, Pakistani goods will no longer be automatically categorized as high-risk. Instead, a more flexible, Product-Based Risk Management system will be implemented, allowing customs authorities to focus on specific products that might require attention rather than blanket inspections.

Bangladesh imports a variety of products from Pakistan, including cotton, yarn, chemicals, petroleum products, and food items like baby food, rice, and fruits. The logistical improvements from this policy are expected to reduce clearance delays, cut down on inspection-related costs, and ultimately benefit businesses by enabling faster and more predictable movement of goods.

This move is likely to have a positive impact on trade flows, improving supply chain efficiency for industries relying on these imports, and reinforcing a more collaborative approach to cross-border logistics between the two nations.