Enhancing Public Availability of Customs Information
In the Islamic Countries
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Bangladesh has registered significant improvement in publishing all rules, regulations, and
trade related procedures online, thereby giving stakeholders, including the public, easy access
to all relevant information. Following stakeholders’ preference for distribution of trade related
information through the internet and from a single source or “window”, the Ministry of
Commerce launched the Bangladesh Trade Portal on behalf of all government departments and
agencies involved in regulating import-export procedures. In addition, NBR launched
Bangladesh Customs Portal as a comprehensive website for all procedures, forms, laws, and
other information pertaining to Customs and trade.
An example of the Portal’s operation is the “Legislation” tab under Bangladesh Customs Portal
(accessible at . It provides export and import related
Customs Acts, allied Acts, SROs (Statuary Regulatory Orders), Customs Rules, Standing Orders,
Office Orders and Minutes and Rulings. The screenshot below gives a sense of how the intuitive
interface works. Information is available in English and Bengali.
Figure 43: Screenshot from Bangladesh Customs Portal.
Source: Authors.
The Bangladesh Trade Portal also has information regarding basic steps of export and import
procedures under the “Guide to Export-Import” tab. It provides customs tariff rates, trade
related legal documents, measures and standards, required forms, as well as market access
information.
Means of Publication
In general, Customs and trade-related information is published in hard copy form, but is also
frequently placed online through relevant websites. All legal texts, including acts, rules,
regulations, and Statutory Regulatory Orders (SROs) are published by the Bangladesh
Government Press in printed form, as well as posted on its website archive. All Customs related
acts, rules, regulations, SROs, and information are also published online on the webpage of the
National Board of Revenue, as well as the recently launched Bangladesh Customs Portal.
Additionally, the Bangladesh Trade Portal, hosted by the Ministry of Commerce on behalf of all
government departments and agencies involved in regulating import-export procedures, is