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.
