Chattogram Custom House, the country’s largest customs station and a major contributor to national revenue, has fallen significantly short of its collection target despite maintaining positive year-on-year growth.
During the first four months of the current 2026-27 fiscal year (July-October), the customs house collected Tk27,995.52 crore, leaving a shortfall of Tk14,641.65 crore against its target.
According to comparative revenue statistics, the customs house achieved 65.65 per cent of its targeted collection of Tk42,637.17 crore during the period. The remaining 34.35 per cent, equivalent to nearly Tk14,642 crore, remains uncollected.
However, the collection represents a 6.99 per cent increase compared with Tk26,166.60 crore collected during the corresponding four months of the previous fiscal year. In absolute terms, revenue collection increased by Tk1,828.92 crore year-on-year.
A month-wise analysis reveals an uneven trend, with negative growth recorded in July and September, while August and October witnessed substantial increases.
October emerged as the strongest-performing month, posting the highest growth rate of 35.94 per cent during the period.
In July, the Chattogram Custom House collected Tk6,925.69 crore, down from Tk7,429.38 crore in the same month of FY2025-26. The decline of Tk503.69 crore translated into negative growth of 6.78 per cent.
Revenue collection rebounded sharply in August, reaching Tk7,096.90 crore against Tk5,489.27 crore in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal year. The increase of Tk1,607.63 crore represented year-on-year growth of 29.29 per cent.
The positive momentum, however, failed to continue in September. Collections dropped to Tk6,765.05 crore from Tk7,954.52 crore a year earlier, marking a decline of Tk1,189.47 crore or 14.86 per cent.
October brought a significant turnaround, with revenue collection rising to Tk7,207.88 crore from Tk5,302.43 crore in October 2025.
The additional Tk1,905.45 crore represented growth of 35.94 per cent, the highest monthly increase recorded during the first four months of the current fiscal year.
Sharif Mohammad Al Amin, assistant commissioner and spokesperson for the Chattogram Custom House, described the growth in revenue collection as encouraging, saying that the authorities were working to streamline customs operations further to sustain the positive trend.
He said revenue generation was largely dependent on import activities and the volume of goods cleared through customs.
“If import activities remain stable and the current growth trend continues, there is a strong possibility of achieving the revenue target,” he said.
However, the customs house is operating with a narrower revenue collection base than in the previous fiscal year following changes in its jurisdiction.
Previously, the Chattogram Custom House exercised customs jurisdiction over private Inland Container Depots (ICDs), as well as the airport and air freight station at Chattogram Airport.
Following the establishment of the separate Custom House ICD, Chattogram, 22 private ICDs and the airport-related customs facilities were transferred to the newly formed entity.
As a result, revenue generated from imported goods cleared through these facilities is now credited to the Custom House ICD, Chattogram, rather than the Chattogram Custom House.
Although the export sector does not generate customs revenue, duties and taxes collected on imported goods delivered through the ICDs constitute an important source of revenue for the customs authorities.
The newly established Custom House ICD, Chattogram, collected Tk1,857.47 crore in revenue during the first four months of FY2026-27, according to the figures provided.
