Published: July 6, 2025, 07:33 PM
The National Board of Revenue (NBR), in collaboration with the Finance Division, has officially launched the ‘a-Chalan’ system — a digital platform enabling taxpayers to pay customs duties and taxes in real time, anytime and from anywhere.
Unveiled at the Chittagong Custom House, the a-Chalan system allows importers, exporters, and C&F agents to instantly deposit government dues related to import-export activities directly into the treasury. This is a major step forward in tax automation as the new fiscal year begins.
The new platform replaces the slower Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) process, which often caused delays due to multi-day processing times. In contrast, a-Chalan offers instant payment confirmation, generating receipt numbers that speed up port clearance processes.
The system is integrated with NBR’s Asycuda World and the Finance Division’s iBAS++, making it possible for users to pay from their bank accounts online or offline.
On its launch day, over Tk 13 crore in customs duties was instantly deposited into the treasury against 75 bill entries, with participation from several scheduled banks, including Sonali Bank. a-Chalan supports various payment methods such as Internet banking, Debit and credit cards, Mobile financial services and Cheque and account debits at 11,700 branches of 61 scheduled banks
The system was previously piloted at ICD Kamalapur Customs House in April and later expanded to Pangaon Customs House. Chittagong is the third customs point to implement the platform, and from Monday, Dhaka Customs House and all remaining customs offices nationwide will begin accepting payments through a-Chalan.
The rollout follows comprehensive training sessions earlier in the week for customs officials, traders, and clearing agents to ensure a smooth transition.
