B Mirror Report:  The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued almost 25,000 Utilization Permissions (UPs) online in the last two and a half months via its Customs Bond Management System (CBMS), marking a notable advancement in the digitalisation of bonded warehouse services.

Launched on January 1, 2025, the CBMS was designed to bring all services for bonded warehouse licence holders onto a digital platform. Under this system, eligible firms obtain UPs online from the respective Customs Bond Commissionerates, based on the approved input-output coefficients determined by the Duty Exemption and Drawback Office (DEDO).

For real-time verification of import and export documentation, the CBMS has been linked with the Bangladesh Bank online system via an application programming interface (API). This eliminates the need for industrial units to physically visit bond commissionerates to secure permissions.

Since January 1, 2026, using the CBMS for all UP-related procedures has been mandatory. Currently, three Customs Bond Commissionerates issue all UPs online. From January 1 to March 16, 2026, a total of 24,963 UPs were processed through the system.

The NBR is collaborating closely with stakeholders, including bonded warehouse licence holders, Bangladesh Bank, DEDO, and industry associations such as the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), to further simplify and improve the process.

Officials say the platform is helping businesses save time and reduce costs, enhance export competitiveness, and strengthen the overall investment environment. The revenue authority also emphasized its ongoing plan to gradually bring all bonded warehouse services, including audits, under full automation to boost transparency, efficiency, and trade facilitation.