Chattogram Custom House, Bangladesh’s largest customs station and key source of import-based revenue, saw a sharp slowdown in May, largely due to the prolonged Eid-ul-Adha holidays and subdued post-holiday commercial activity.
Revenue collection during the month fell over 25 per cent compared with May of the previous fiscal year, significantly dampening overall growth for the July–May period.
According to a review of National Board of Revenue (NBR) data, the customs station had a target of Tk92,311 crore for revenue collection from July to May. It managed to collect Tk72,462.37 crore, leaving a shortfall of Tk19,849 crore — about 21.5 per cent below target.
Despite this gap, cumulative revenue still recorded modest year-on-year growth of 3.75 per cent compared with the same period last fiscal year. Prior to May, overall revenue growth had stood at 7.81 per cent up to April; the weak performance during the month effectively cut the cumulative growth rate by more than half.
The monthly target for May alone was Tk10,297 crore, but actual collections reached only Tk6,400 crore, creating a deficit of Tk3,897 crore, or 37.85 per cent below the goal. Collections also fell compared with May 2024-25, when revenue stood at Tk8,566 crore, representing a 25.29 per cent decline.
Officials attributed the drop primarily to the extended Eid holidays, which lasted from 25 May to 31 May. The week-long break disrupted administrative and commercial activities despite special arrangements at Chattogram Port and Custom House. Many importers delayed submitting Bills of Entry or completing customs formalities, leaving shipments uncleared even after vessels were unloaded. Post-holiday recovery also took several days, prolonging the slowdown.
Assistant Commissioner Md Habibur Rahman said, “There was nearly a week-long government holiday in May, and it took additional time after the holidays for imports, customs clearance and related activities to return to normal.” He added that international trade volatility and caution among businesses ahead of the national budget further dampened import activity. Duty exemptions on certain products also reduced revenue even when imports increased, he noted.
Chattogram Custom House handles the majority of Bangladesh’s import-based tax revenue, giving its performance a significant impact on the National Board of Revenue’s overall collections.
Customs records show that revenue fell short of monthly targets throughout the fiscal year, with deficits in July (14.25 per cent), August (15.80 per cent), October (18.43 per cent), December (36.63 per cent), and March (33.79 per cent). Positive growth in earlier months was largely offset by the substantial decline in May.
The downturn extended to import volumes as well. Customs data indicate that imported goods subject to duties fell from 8.93 million metric tonnes in May 2024-25 to 8.41 million tonnes in May 2025-26 — a reduction of 516,397 tonnes, or 5.78 per cent. The dutiable value of imports also decreased from Tk44,580.09 crore to Tk43,720.74 crore, a decline of Tk859.35 crore, equivalent to negative growth of 1.93 per cent.
The combination of weaker import activity, holiday-related disruptions, and policy-driven exemptions highlights the challenges faced by Bangladesh’s principal customs station in maintaining consistent revenue growth. Analysts note that recovery in June and beyond will be crucial for achieving the fiscal year’s final revenue targets.
