On November 30, 2024, participants
of the Integrated Supply Chain Management (ISCM) course, after completing Level
1 of the program, visited Chittagong Port to gain practical experience in
import and export activities. As part of the visit, the team first toured the
BM Container Depot, where containers for import and export are stored and
monitored by customs officers from the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Most
documentation processes—such as bills of exchange, shipping credits, and
invoices—are cleared, checked, and monitored within the depot before being
loaded onto ships for export or unloaded after import.
During the visit, participants
learned about the roles and functions of customs offices (under the NBR),
container depots, Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) agents, freight forwarders,
and shipping lines. Mr. Nazmul Akhter Khan, General Manager (Marketing and
Sales) of BM Container Depot Limited, guided the team, providing practical
insights into supply chain management.
Following the visit to BM
Container Depot, the participants proceeded to the ESACK Brothers Container
Terminal to gain additional hands-on experience with import and export
processes. Mr. Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Manager of ESACK Brothers Container
Terminal, explained the detailed and sequential procedures of import and export
operations in an organized manner.
The entire visit, including air
and road transport and meals, was sponsored by USAID Bangladesh. The
participants traveled from Dhaka using Air Astra Air Transport Service. Upon
arrival at the port, a dedicated microbus facilitated the depot visits. In the
evening, the team returned to Dhaka by air using US-Bangla Airlines.
The visit was led by Abdullah
Ibrahim Jawad, a representative from USAID Bangladesh. USAID Bangladesh is an
associate partner of the Integrated Supply Chain Management (ISCM) course at
the World University of Bangladesh.