Authorities and locals in Lalmonirhat have expressed concern that illegal goods, including possible weapons, may be entering Bangladesh from India and Bhutan through the Burimari land port under the cover of stone imports. The customs station currently lacks a scanner machine, making it impossible to verify the contents of Indian trucks carrying stones and powder materials. The issue has gained attention as the national election approaches, raising fears of potential misuse of unmonitored cargo routes.
Field observations show that between 320 and 400 trucks cross the Burimari port daily, with many Indian trucks unloading stones at local crushing sites outside the customs-controlled area without oversight. Some of these unloading activities reportedly continue late into the night, which is considered illegal. Locals fear that such unmonitored operations could be exploited by criminal groups to smuggle weapons or suspicious items.
Burimari Customs Assistant Commissioner Md. Delwar Hossain stated that the office has repeatedly requested the National Board of Revenue to install a scanner at the port, and the authority has assured that the issue will be resolved as soon as possible.