Continuous rainfall over the past two days has caused severe waterlogging at Benapole Land Port, damaging imported goods after floodwater inundated several warehouses at the country's largest land port.

Traders blamed poor drainage and inadequate water management for the recurring flooding, saying water entered multiple warehouses and damaged imported goods awaiting clearance.

They alleged that similar flooding and waterlogging occurred during last year's monsoon, damaging imported goods. They claimed they received no compensation for the losses and that no effective measures have been taken since then to prevent a recurrence.

Importer Al Mamun said even moderate rainfall regularly causes flooding at the port, with water rising from knee to waist level in different warehouses.

He blamed the lack of an effective drainage system, saying imported goods worth crores of taka are damaged almost every monsoon.

He also alleged that traders continue to pay demurrage charges despite suffering losses, adding that raw materials imported for export-oriented industries, particularly garment factories, have been badly affected.

He demanded compensation for the affected businesses.

According to port sources, knee-deep water accumulated in at least five warehouses near Gate No. 3, submerging a wide range of imported products.

Following reports of the flooding, officials from the customs and port authorities, along with representatives of importers and exporters, inspected the affected areas.

During the visit, traders urged the authorities to compensate those affected and take immediate steps to permanently resolve the waterlogging problem.

Aminul Haque, senior vice-president of the Benapole Importers and Exporters Association, said the port becomes inundated even after light rainfall, causing extensive damage to imported goods stored in different warehouses.

He called on the port authorities to compensate affected traders and improve the drainage system.

Traders also alleged that despite generating around Tk 8,000 crore in annual government revenue, Benapole Land Port has not received adequate investment in infrastructure.

Kazi Ratan, deputy director of Benapole Land Port, said continuous rainfall had flooded several warehouses, damaging the stored goods.

He said pumps were being used to remove the accumulated water, although persistent rainfall had slowed the process.

He expressed hope that conditions would improve once the rain subsides and said the authorities are working on a long-term solution to prevent future waterlogging.