United News of Bangladesh

Vehicle imports through Bangladesh’s main seaport have jumped sharply ahead of the national election through Chattogram port, giving a significant boost to government revenue. More than 7,000 vehicles were cleared through the port over the past six months, generating over Tk 1,200 crore in customs revenue, according to data provided by port and customs officials. The volume marks a record for both Chattogram Port Authority and Chattogram Customs House, driven by stronger demand and faster clearance following policy interventions by the National Board of Revenue (NBR). The officials said importers have accelerated deliveries in recent months, partly to meet pre-election demand and partly to avoid the risk of higher tariffs in the future. Read more: Police to act against noise from vehicles, construction work, loudspeakers For years, hundreds of imported vehicles had remained stuck in the port’s car sheds as legal disputes and procedural delays prevented importers from taking delivery. Recent measures by the NBR have helped unlock those bottlenecks, allowing both older stock and newly imported vehicles to clear more quickly. As a result, importers are now taking delivery of at least 50 vehicles a day, easing congestion and encouraging fresh imports. Under port regulations, vehicles left uncleared for more than 30 days are transferred to Customs for auction. Currently, only 103 vehicles meet the criteria for auction — a sharp decline from previous years. Data from the Chattogram Port Authority shows a steady rise in monthly imports since the start of the current fiscal year. In July, just 450 vehicles arrived through the port. The number crossed 1,000 in August and climbed to 1,058 vehicles in December. In total, importers brought in 841 brand-new vehicles and 6,225 other vehicles through 16 specialised roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ships over the six-month period. “Vehicle imports have increased significantly compared to the beginning of the fiscal year,” said Omar Faruk, Director (Administration) of the Chattogram Port Authority. “Faster clearance has helped reduce congestion in the port’s car sheds.” Read more: Bangladesh suspends Vannamei shrimp fry imports amid disease concerns Customs data points to a similar trend. Sharif Md. Al-Amin, Assistant Commissioner at Chattogram Customs House, said that during the first six months of the last fiscal year, the port cleared 6,651 vehicles, generating Tk 1,153 crore in revenue. “Compared to the previous fiscal year, this represents an increase of 1,034 vehicles and an additional Tk 124 crore in revenue,” he said. Industry insiders say the surge reflects broader dynamics in Bangladesh’s vehicle import market. Mohammed Habibur Rahman, former Senior Vice President of the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA), said the country imports more than 20,000 cars annually, primarily from Japan and other markets. While Chattogram handles a large share of those imports, many traders prefer Mongla port, citing lower costs and quicker processing times, he added. Still, the recent uptick at Chattogram has sharply reduced backlog. Only 471 vehicles are currently waiting for delivery at the port’s two car sheds, which together can accommodate 1,250 vehicles. In previous months, the number had hovered around 2,000. Read more: Bangladesh Bank allows 270-day credit for LPG imports With clearance speeding up and revenue climbing, officials say the port’s vehicle yards are now operating at a fraction of the pressure seen earlier,  an uncommon development ahead of a national election, when trade flows typically face uncertainty.

Chattogram Customs House has set January 21 to auction more than 100 vehicles, including 31 high-end cars imported by former members of parliament (MPs) from the ousted Awami League government, who had benefited from duty-free privileges. “These vehicles will be put up for auction on January 21 due to delays in having them released from the port,” Md Sakib Hossain, assistant commissioner at Chattogram Customs House, told UNB on Wednesday. Titas Gas disconnects illegal lines of Manikganj washing factory He said over 900 imported cars are currently being held at various locations, including the Chattogram Port car shed, and will be auctioned because of delays in clearance. “Legal complications had prevented earlier auctions, resulting in congestion at port facilities.” Despite notices being sent to the owners to settle their dues, there has been no response, particularly from former MPs whose cars were imported under the privileged scheme. Among the 100 vehicles to be auctioned are 31 Land Cruisers, which were imported under the MP quota over various periods. The reserve price for these luxury cars is set at Tk 9.5 crore each, representing 60% of their estimated value. With additional VAT and taxes, the expected total revenue from these 31 vehicles is estimated to be at least Tk 221 crore. Other vehicles to be auctioned include five Toyota Harriers, 13 Havals, and a range of Toyota Premio, Noah, and Rav-4, among others. The inventory for the auction has been finalised, and officials are targeting total revenue of Tk 400 crore from the sale. Following the initiation of the auction process, the owners of 31 cars have cleared their dues by paying fines. However, no former MP has yet responded to settle their vehicles. ACC sues Shamim Osman, wife, brother-in-law Md Saidul Islam, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Customs House, said that the inventory for the auction is complete, with at least 50 car values determined. However, around 300 cars left in open sheds at the port have deteriorated due to prolonged delays. Yakub Chowdhury, general secretary of the Chattogram Customs Bidders Association, mentioned that, in addition to the cars, the Customs House will also sell 30 cement mixer machines and 10 dump trucks that have been stored in the Chattogram Port car shed for a long time.

Customs authorities on Tuesday claimed to have  seized 42 tonnes of poppy seeds worth Tk 15 crore at Chattogram port. Officials said that the poppy seeds were imported from Malaysia by a trader based in Old Dhaka -- Ajmin Trade Center -- in the garb of mustard seeds. The seizure was made on a tip-off. Read:'Drug peddler' killed in Gazipur gunfight On April 18, Ajmin Trade Center's clearing agent Hotline Cargo International submitted a bill of entry to the Chattogram Customs  department to unload the consignment of two containers and paid Tk 1,42,497 as duty for mustard seed imports. On a tip-off, the Audit, Investigation and Research (AIR) team of Customs House Chattogram suspended the release process and conducted a physical examination of the consignment. Upon the physical examination, 12 tonnes of mustard seeds and 42 tonnes of poppy seeds were found in place of the 54 tonnes of mustard seeds declared by the importer. Mustard seeds were found in sacks kept near the door of the container, while sacks containing poppy seeds were kept in the rear side. Read:LSD seizure: 5 more placed on 5-day remand Rezaul Karim, Assistant Commissioner, AIR Branch, Chattogram Custom House, said samples of the seized poppy seeds were subsequently sent to the Narcotics Control Department in Dhaka for chemical testing. The government agency has certified that those are indeed poppy seeds, the official added. According to international market price, the value of the seized 42 tonnes of poppy seeds is around Tk 15 crore.  However, the importer has paid Tk 22 lakh through the letter of credit for the import of mustard seeds, and thus may have violated the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Read: LSD seized during probe into DU student's death The Bangladesh government has banned the import of poppy seeds as they are used to make various drugs, including opium. Chattogram Customs House is preparing to file a case accusing the importer. The Anti-Money Laundering Unit of the department is also looking into possible violations of the the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.  

A consignment of imported onion from Myanmar has been unloaded at the Chattogram Port on Monday. After the shipment of 58 metric tonnes of onion reached the port on Monday, the authorities concerned of Plant Quarantine Centre of Chattogram Seaport issued the release order, said Dr Mohammad Asaduzzaman, deputy director of the centre. This is the first shipment of onion from Myanmar. A representative of C&F Agent said the ‘Agrabad Kayel Store’ imported the onion and already two containers had been unloaded. Besides, four more onion-laden containers have reached the port from Pakistan and the authorities concerned have examined it for clearance. According to Chattogram Customs House, the authorities concerned have taken all-out preparation to unload the shipment of onion as soon as possible. Mohammad Idris, general secretary of Traders Association, said the first consignment of onion from Myanmar has arrived at the port. The colour, size and taste of Myanmar onion is similar to that of our local variety and per kg is being sold at Tk 70, he said. The government has withdrawn 5 percent duty on onion import in an effort to cool down the overheated local market following India’s export ban. The decision has been taken as per Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directives, said a Finance Ministry handout on Sep 20. It will remain effective until March 31 next year. India’s onion export ban pushed up the prices in the local markets to about Tk 100 from Tk 30 per kg. According to the Commerce Ministry, the annual demand for onion in Bangladesh ranges between 2.2 and 2.5 million tonnes. Although the country’s own annual production has risen, so has the amount imported over the last decade. Commerce Ministry figures show the amount imported was hardly 0.4 million tons in FY09, but had touched up to 1.1 million tons in recent years.