Almost 200 key stakeholders at Bhromra Land Port have received intensive operational training on the digital e-Port management system that is expected to transform operations at this busy border crossing between Bangladesh and India.
The participants, including 60 government officials, more than 120 Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) Agents, along with representatives from three banks, engaged in immersive, hands-on sessions between March 6-12, underscoring public-private sector commitment to mastering the new system and possibly extending it to other land ports.
The personnel responsible for various port functions, including Customs, plant and animal quarantine, border security, and immigration trialled the software that will replace many of the current paper-based processes, changing work practices.
Alliance implementing partner, Swisscontact, and local software provider, DataSoft, demonstrated the overall functionality of the system and its component parts. Training included interactive Q&A sessions and feedback exchanges.
In a virtual keynote address to participants, Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA) Chairman, Md. Zillur Rahman Chowdhury emphasised the transformative potential of automation, urging the implementing partners to build a replicable model for future development elsewhere. BLPA Deputy Director Md. Ruhul Amin said the project would have a positive impact on the country’s economy.