Exports through Bangladesh.

All the documentation formalities as applicable to third country exports through Calcutta have to be completed at Nepal Border Customs and India Border Customs except the declaration to be made on relevant documents including CTD that the cargo is going to be routed through Bangladesh. 

On arrival of goods at Bangladesh border, CA has to produce to Customs six copies of TDI with invoice and packing list. After completing necessary checking, the Border Customs endorses all copies of TDI, which are also subsequently endorsed by the carrier. The original copy is retained at the Border Customs, duplicate and triplicate copies are handed over in a sealed cover to the railway guard or truck driver to be delivered to the exit Customs and remaining three copies to CA.

On arrival of the cargo at the Port of exit, the Port Customs will compare the duplicate and triplicate copies of TDI received from the rail guard or truck driver with the three copies along with RR produced by CA and also check the seals on the rail wagon or truck. After necessary verification by the customs the goods are cleared for shipment and entries are made on all TDI copies. The quadruplicate copy is retained by the Port Customs for ultimate submission to the Customs House and triplicate copy is send back by registered post to the border entry Customs Office. The remaining three copies including duplicate are handed back to CA.

After necessary clearance by the Port Customs, the CA pays port dues and obtains port clearance before handing over the cargo to the Ship's agent inside the port.

Procedures at the port of exit.

When documents reach Calcutta, CA files documents at the Customs House. The Customs House compares the original CTD with the duplicate and triplicate copies received separately in a sealed envelope from CA. Documents are cleared permitting exports by Calcutta Customs normally within 24 hours of filing. After documents are cleared by the Calcutta Customs, CPT approval is obtained for taking the cargo inside the port. At the same time booking of container with a shipping line is also confirmed. The export cargo is then taken inside the port where the Customs EO or PO checks seals and locks on the wagons or containers and packages, and compares with the declaration made on CTD.

If seals and locks are found intact, EO endorses all copies of CTD. In cases where seals and locks are not intact or there is otherwise suspicion, the goods are checked on percentage basis to ensure that they correspond with the information on CTD before endorsing all copies. Then the cargo is loaded onto a vessel or handed over to the ship's agent inside the port. After necessary endorsements, EO gives back the original, duplicate and triplicate copies of CTD to CA who takes them again to the Calcutta Customs. After the Calcutta Customs makes necessary entries on all copies, the original is handed back to CA for submission to the Border Customs, the triplicate copy is sent to the Border Customs and the duplicate copy retained for records.

Transit Routes

Biral which is a meter gauge rail point at Bangladesh border was brought under regular use for the movement of Nepal's trade traffic to and through Bangladesh after the Government of India allowed the rail connection from its border station Radhikapur to Biral.

India has allowed use of the road connection from its Phulbari border point with Bangladesh. The Kakarvita (Nepal Border)-Panitanki (India Border with Nepal)-Phulbari (India Border with Bangladesh) route provides a shortest access of only 44 km to Banglabandh border for Nepal's trade with and through Bangladesh. As the short route was very congested, a new route of about 55-km passing through Bagdogra and Ghose Pukur by-pass is made open for truck transportation all days of the week.
Compared to Radhikapur-Biral rail route connecting the India-Nepal border transit points and requiring to follow all the transit procedures as laid down in the Treaty of Transit, the Phulbari-Banglabandh route was allowed only for one border crossing point of Kakarvita-     Panitanki road with the application of different operational modalities as follows:

Transit Procedures in India

Transit procedures as laid down in the Treaty of Transit signed between Nepal and India for the movements of third country trade traffic apply to Nepal's trade with and transit traffic through Bangladesh. The Calcutta Customs has authorized the border customs offices of Radhikapur and Phulbari to process CTD and other documents for the clearance of Nepal's transit traffic. Nepalese exporters and importers are not required to go to the Calcutta Customs for processing of documents.

With the stationing of NTWCL offices at both the transit points of Radhikapur and Kakarvita, an undertaking letter in lieu of duty insurance to the Indian customs is easily obtainable on the spot for trading with and through Bangladesh For goods moving through the Phulbari- Banglabandh route, the private sector importers and exporters also obtain NTWCL's undertaking letter and clearing services as per the operational modality applicable to this route. From 1984 the branch office of NICL at Raigunj City, which is close to Radhikapur border also started issuing duty insurance policy coverage for the goods passing through the rail route of Radhikapur-Biral. The duty insurance is issued by NICL after the Radhikapur land border customs examines CTD indicating the customs valuation for duty insurance.

NTWCL levies a clearing fee of 0.20% of the FOB value on Export and 0.30% of the CIF value on import trade traffic moving through the Phulbari-Banglabandh route. The charges for issuing the letter of undertaking to the Indian Customs are 0.07% for cement and fertilizer, and 0.15% for other products on FOB exports and CIF imports.