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DHAKA, Nov 16, 2025 (BSS) - The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has taken a significant step toward modernizing revenue administration by deciding to make the use of the Customs Bond Management System (CBMS) mandatory for the issuance of Utilization Permission (UP).

The decision to enforce the use of CBMS was solidified during an NBR-hosted ‘Meet the Business’ discussion held today at NBR conference room in the city, said a press release.

Representatives from the top organizations across major exporting sectors—including garments, knitwear, accessories, textile, and leather goods (specifically BGMEA, BKMEA, BGAPMEA, BTMA, and LFMEAB)—unanimously agreed to the measure.

The consensus was that mandatory use would help provide faster and more transparent services to bonded institutions.

During the discussion, a proposal was unanimously adopted to make the use of the CBMS software mandatory for all services related to UP issuance and reception as quickly as possible, potentially starting from December 1, 2025.

The CBMS is an automated software introduced to make the nation's bond management modern, transparent, and technology-dependent. 

The system was launched by the NBR on January 1, 2025.

Currently, 24 modules of this software are utilized to provide online services to institutions holding bonded warehouse licenses through three Customs Bond Commissionerates operating under the NBR.

UP is vital for bonded warehouse license-holding exporting institutions, allowing them to import raw materials duty-free based on the approved formula provided by the Directorate of Duty Exemption and Drawback.

Despite the CBMS UP module being available, the desired level of system usage has not been achieved over the last 10 months because the software was not mandatory. Most institutions were still opting for the manual method to obtain UP, with only a small number utilizing the online service. 

The NBR noted that the CBMS system has since undergone necessary development and modification based on user feedback to make it more user-friendly.

The NBR is expected to issue a formal instruction regarding this decision soon.

Making the CBMS system mandatory is expected to yield several significant advantages for both the revenue authority and the exporting sector.

It will ensure speed, transparency, and accountability in the NBR’s service delivery process and service acquisition for bonded institutions will become easier, more time-saving, and cost-effective.

The requirement to enter raw material input and output data into the software will ensure that record-keeping is both automatic and transparent.

The mandatory shift will eliminate the complexity associated with manually submitting documents at the Bond Commissionerate.

The incidence of bond-related disputes is expected to be significantly reduced.