Due to a shutdown program by Chattogram Customs officers and staff, the export of 3,680 containers through Chattogram Port was delayed in just one day. Most of these containers contain garments products, which now cannot reach foreign buyers on time. Officials involved in port operations said there is no precedent in the port’s history for such a large number of containers being held up in a single day.
Three large ships- ‘AS Cecilia,’ ‘Express Nilwala,’ and ‘Hong Da Jin-68’—were ready for export, but they could not leave the port as the required containers did not arrive from the depots. Because of the customs staff’s shutdown, no containers were sent from depots to the port, causing a buildup of export goods and a halt in customs clearance activities. Consequently, import-export operations have come to a standstill.
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Port Secretary Md. Omar Faruk said the shutdown program has severely affected import-export activities at the port. This protest started against the reforms in the National Board of Revenue (NBR), including demands for the removal of the NBR chairman.
As the economic hub of the country, the shutdown at Chattogram Port is feared to have a negative impact on business and the economy.
