The National Board of Revenue (NBR), under the esteemed Ministry of Finance, proudly hosted the Soft Launching Ceremony of the Bangladesh Single Window (BSW) on January 2, 2025, at the Utshab Hall, Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka. This milestone marks a pivotal advancement in Bangladesh’s journey toward streamlined and transparent trade facilitation.
The BSW platform is set to integrate key government agencies and private sector entities, creating a unified digital ecosystem to simplify trade operations, reduce costs, and enhance transparency. This initiative signifies a monumental leap toward modernizing Bangladesh’s trade infrastructure.
The event was graced by the presence of Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, the Honorable Adviser to the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology, as the Chief Guest, and Ms. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the Honorable Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Ministry of Water Resources, along with Mr. Lutfey Siddiqui, Special Envoy on International Affairs to the Chief Advisor, Chief Advisor’s Office, as Special Guests.
The program was further honored by the presence of Guests of Honor, including:
- Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, BSP, ndc, psc, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority.
- Major General Md. Shameem Haider, FCPS, Director General, Directorate General of Drug Administration.
- Nazma Mobarek, Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance.
- Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance.
- Farhina Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman (Senior Secretary), Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA).
The ceremony was presided over by Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, Secretary of the Internal Resources Division and Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Distinguished World Bank official Dr. Gayle Martin, Interim Country Director of World Bank Bangladesh, was also present at the event.
Event Highlights
The ceremony featured a range of insightful presentations and demonstrations. Project Director Mr. Jewel Ahmed delivered a comprehensive keynote presentation on the BSW, highlighting the platform’s achievements, including over 2,000 registered users and more than 3,000 CLP applications processed through the BSW Trade Portal.
Following the keynote, the Guests of Honor officially launched the BSW Trade Portal, marking a significant milestone in Bangladesh’s trade digitization efforts.
The event also included a detailed system demonstration led by Mr. Esmaeil Baigy, Project Manager of Webb Fontaine, who provided an overview of the company’s involvement in the project. Mr. AKM Zahid Hossain further elaborated on the platform’s innovative features and potential to revolutionize trade processes, while Mr. Mohammed Ali Ullah from Webb Fontaine Bangladesh demonstrated CLP processing. Throughout the event, speeches by the Chief Guest, Special Guests, Guests of Honor, and the NBR Chairman emphasized the importance of digital transformation in fostering economic growth. Discussions with trade representatives, government officials, and media personnelreinforced a shared vision for advancing trade facilitation.
In a significant announcement, Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, the Honorable Chief Guest, declared that from February 1, 2025, no manual CLP will be accepted by the NBR from seven CLPIAs, including the Directorate General for Drug Administration (DGDA), the Department of Explosives (DOEX), the Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (BNACWC), the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), and the Department of Environment (DOE). Piloting of the BSW platform has been ongoing in these seven CLPIAs since May 2024.
Additionally, he announced that from March 1, 2025, the NBR will discontinue accepting manual CLPs from twelve additional CLPIAs, such asthe Chief Controller of Imports & Exports (CCI&E), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA), the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Department of Fisheries (DOF), the Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institution (BSTI), the Plant Quarantine Wing of the Department of Agriculture (PQW), the Department of Livestock (DLS), the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA), and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, the Chair of the Soft Launching event, extended his heartfelt gratitude to all stakeholders, including government agencies, development partners, and private sector collaborators, for their unwavering support in making this milestone a reality.
Webb Fontaine is proud to be a partner of the NBR to help shape Bangladesh’s digital transformation journey. Together, we are shaping a more efficient, transparent, and globally competitive trade environment for Bangladesh!
You can click to watch the Portal Launch Video and the CLP Application Approval Video.
You can also watch the TV news segment about the project here.
