National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued an order banning the import of yarn from India through land routes.

However, in the issued order NBR said yarn can still be imported from India by other means such as sea and air.

An order was published in this regard on Tuesday (April 15) and is effective immediately. 

It replaces the earlier order issued on August 27, 2024.

The decision follows repeated calls from the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), which in February urged the government to stop yarn imports through land ports to protect local textile industries.

In March, the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission also wrote to the NBR recommending the restriction. 

The commission said the use of locally produced yarn in the garment industry should be increased, and noted that land ports and customs houses currently lack the infrastructure to properly check yarn count as per international standards.

As a result, the commission recommended that yarn imports continue only through seaports until proper systems are in place. Acting on this recommendation, NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem signed the new order, which is now in force.

BDST: 1652 HRS, April 15, 2025
MSK