Operations at the Customs House in Chattogram remained suspended for a second straight day on Sunday, as officials and staff of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) continued their ‘complete shutdown’ programme, bringing activities at the country’s premier seaport to a standstill.
The shutdown programme severely disrupted operations at the Chittagong Port, the country’s key trade gateway, causing serious difficulties for traders and exporters.
Sources said some 38,000 containers remained stranded at the port over the past two days till Sunday afternoon, said Omar Faruk, secretary of Chittagong Port.
Authorities fear that if the deadlock is not resolved by Sunday, cargo delivery from the port may come to a complete halt.
The bonded warehouse operations and customs clearance processes at Chittagong Port are closely interconnected. Any disruption in customs clearance directly impacts port activity.
Stakeholders fear worsening container and vessel congestion if the situation persists.
During a visit to Customs House, Chattogram, this correspondent found the office largely empty, with import and export clearance processes suspended.
Even previously cleared consignments are now facing complications due to a lack of customs officers for final inspection.
Officials stationed at the port gates are not conducting scanning or examinations, halting cargo release by port authorities.
According to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Reform Unity Council, the complete shutdown has been enforced across all customs, VAT and tax offices in the country since Saturday, though international passenger services remain unaffected.
A peaceful ‘March to NBR’ campaign is also being observed across the country.
Omar Faruk said, “Our operations are continuing for now, but if customs clearance does not resume, we will have to stop as well.”
He, however, said the vessels for which the customs clearance process had been completed earlier are loading and unloading goods at the jetty.
Finance Adviser ‘declines’ meeting with NBR Reform Unity Council amid protests
The goods for which customs duties had been paid earlier are also being cleared, he said.
“However, no vessel has been registered since Saturday morning. Those arriving at the outer anchorage cannot berth at jetties until the customs shutdown is withdrawn or officers return to work. If the situation continues, the entire port may become inoperative in the next couple of days,” said Faruk.
The NBR officials under the banner of NBR Unity Council continued their ‘complete shutdown’ for the second consecutive day on Sunday, demanding the immediate removal of its chairman.
The NBR Reform Unity Council has been demonstrating with a series of protest programmes demanding structural reforms and the removal of the NBR Chairman citing allegations of administrative irregularities, officer intimidation, and obstruction of pro-reform efforts.
NBR officials’ ‘complete shutdown’ enters day 2
Since early June the agitating officials have held work abstentions, hunger strikes, and human chains, disrupting services in tax, VAT and customs offices across the country.
The protests began after the government issued an ordinance on May 12 dissolving the NBR and the Internal Resources Division, replacing them with the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.
As a critical component of NBR, Chattogram Customs' participation in the shutdown has led to near paralysis of port operations.
The port handles approximately 92% of the country’s seaborne trade, and customs activities, including duty assessment and submission of bills of entry, have come to a halt, severely disrupting cargo movement.