Written by The Banking Post
Bond management for the garment industry has been integrated with the ASYCUDA World customs system, a move aimed at speeding up clearance, reducing paperwork and improving transparency in bonded trade operations.
The National Board of Revenue has linked the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association’s electronic Utilisation Declaration (e-UD) platform with ASYCUDA World, the global customs management system used for external trade and transport. The integration took effect on January 11, 2026, as part of a broader push to modernise bond management, improve valuation of bonded raw materials and exports, and strengthen accountability in customs operations.
Officials said the new system will remove long-standing procedural bottlenecks caused by manual verification of UD documents and dependence on BGMEA’s standalone platform.
“Previously, UD verification relied on manual checks and system-level dependency, which often delayed cargo clearance and created challenges in ensuring transparency and regulatory oversight,” the revenue authority said.
Under the new arrangement, UD verification will be carried out fully online and in real time through ASYCUDA World, significantly reducing paperwork and operational risks.
According to the NBR, the integration will lead to faster clearance of import and export consignments, lower reliance on physical documents, stronger revenue protection and risk management, and a more efficient bonded-warehouse system.
After the successful pilot phase, the revenue authority plans to gradually introduce automated e-UD write-off procedures to further streamline bonded operations.
Jointly implemented by the NBR and BGMEA, the initiative is seen as a major step toward a paperless customs environment. Officials said it will facilitate trade, improve the ease of doing business and enhance Bangladesh’s competitiveness in the global apparel market by cutting lead times and ensuring quicker customs processing.
