The Chattogram Customs House will see a 12-hour suspension of all activities, including taxation,  from October 14 night to October 15 morning due to an upgrade in its customs management system – Automated System for Customs Data (Asycuda) software.

The office of the National Board of Revenue at Kakrail in Dhaka controls Asycuda World System, a computerised customs management system that covers most foreign trade procedures.

ASYCUDA, developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, uses international codes and standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization, World Customs Organization and United Nations and can be configured to suit the national characteristics of individual customs regimes, national tariffs and legislation.

During the software upgrade, bills of entry submission, customs clearance, duty payment and delivery of goods from Chattogram port will remain closed, according to Customs.

However, the suspension will not hurt imports and exports if the process can be completed within 12 hours, authorities said.

The Customs House already notified the stakeholders about the suspension of services through e-mail and SMS.

Mohammad Fyzur Rahman, commissioner at Chattogram Customs House, said: "All ports of the country, including Chattogram, operate under ASYCUDA software. Due to the migration of the Asycuda system, all activities under the software will be closed for 12 hours from 8pm October 14 to October 15."

To enhance the ease and speed of imports and exports at the Chattogram port, automation in the Chattogram Customs House started in 1995.

The Asycuda system was introduced at Chattogram Customs in 2013. Since then all activities, including customs clearance, are being done online after the import of goods.