Desk Report,
Customs ‘shutdown’ program, Chittagong Port heading towards deadlock
On the first day of the ‘shutdown‘ program of customs officers and employees, import and export activities through Chittagong Port have gradually stopped. After this program started from 6 am today, Saturday, the unloading of goods from the port has almost stopped. Customs clearance of import and export goods has also stopped.
Customs ‘shutdown’ program, Chittagong Port heading towards deadlock
However, until now, the loading and unloading of containers from ships is still ongoing. This is because the registration of these ships and other activities have already been approved. However, there will be no opportunity to moor newly arrived ships that have not been registered at the jetty. That is, if the program continues, the entire port will become inactive.
All activities from customs clearance to unloading of imports and exports through Chittagong Port are done with the approval of customs. None of these activities are done without the approval of customs. As a result, if customs activities are stopped, the port activities also stop.
When asked, Ajmir Hossain Chowdhury, Head of Operations and Logistics at the Swiss-based shipping company Mediterranean Shipping Company, told Prothom Alo that due to previous approval, the work of loading and unloading containers from the jetty is underway. However, if export customs clearance is not done, the goods cannot be exported. Furthermore, containers cannot be loaded and unloaded on ships that are not registered now.
A continuous shutdown program has started in customs offices across the country from today demanding reform of the revenue sector and the removal of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman based on the participation of all parties. This has had the greatest impact on Chittagong Port. Because the majority of import and export goods are brought and taken through this port. Khairul Alam, Director of the Shipping Agents Association, told Prothom Alo that this program will create a terrible crisis in import and export. Because all customs activities will be closed, there will be a deadlock in the entire port.
