Accustomed to their customs office under the blue!

When import or export merchandise arrive, customs officials are informed and they come from Juri upazila headquarters 23 kilometres away. They perform official formalities sitting in open space.

Custom Officer Akkas Ali said the office lacks minimum facilities like furniture and security guard. There is no residential accommodation. So, to preserve important files and documents, they rented a house at Juri upazila headquarter as per advice of higher authorities.

Import export through the border point remains virtually stopped during rainy season as the two-kilometre road connecting Botuli and Raghna land port across the border in Tripura becomes unusable. Transports do not ply the road because of the ramshackle wooden bridge over Juri river at the zero point.

The land customs is on the verge of closure due to lack of infrastructure facilities, manpower and proper road link.

The land customs was set up to promote trade with India and provide immigration facilities to people of Bangladesh and India.

But due to lack of facilities, customs officials now perform duties at a rental house at Juri upazila headquarter.

Botuli land customs was opened following an agreement between the governments of India and Bangladesh.

In 1975, the land port was closed for unknown reason. After a long interval, it was reopened in 1997. At that time, the Indian government had shown interest to construct a bridge over Juri river at the zero point, but Bangladesh government rejected the proposed.

Later, in 2001, a wooden bridge was constructed and import-export started. Imports through the customs station include coal, machinery spares, fruits and spices while exports include fish, dry-fish, jamdani sharee, soap and electronic items.

During a visit to the area, local people said, the customs office usually remains locked. Officials come from Juri upazila headquarter when merchandise arrive and perform their duties in an open place.

Akkas Ali said, a revenue earning targget of Tk 8, 31,000 was fixed for the land customs for the last financial but only Tk 1, 95,000 was earned till November.

He said, due to bad communication and poor infrastructure facilities, import cost is higher than in other border points. Traders can not open Letter of Credit (LC) due to nonavailability of dollars.

Botuli immigration check post is situated besides the land custom office.

Sub-inspector Murshed Alam said Indian authorities do not issue visa to Bangladeshi nationals to travel through Botuli check post though Bangladesh issues visa to Indian nationals.

At the immigration check post, only a table and five plastic chairs were seen. Files and documents were kept on a bamboo made rack.

Immigration officials also use the small office room as residence.

Alam said the dilapidated office room is risky as a crack has developed in the wall and it may collapse any time.

However, custom officials, immigration police and local people said there is good prospects to increase exports to Tripura and boost revenue earning if the road link and infrastructure facilities are improved in Botuli lans customs.