OUR CORRESPONDENT
BENAPOLE, Oct 17: The indefinite strike called by the C&F agents' association at Benapole Customs House in protest against harassment by the customs assessment groups no. 3 and 4 continued for the third consecutive day on Saturday.
The C&F agents' associations enforced the strike since Thursday.
Sajedur Rahman, general secretary of the C&F Staff Welfare Association, alleged that there was no working environment at Benapole Customs House.
Traders are being harassed in various ways by the revenue officials of the 3rd and 4th customs assessment groups.
Harassment occurs as regards a file of imported goods through bringing change in the HS code and price at the customs assessment groups 3 and 4.
Traders are being discouraged to import goods through Benapole port. C&F traders in Benapole said they are being harassed here and there by customs officers.
There should be a solution. Officers are not following the core guidelines of the Board of Revenue.
Although the customs assessment data sheet is supposed to be levied on imported goods at the lowest price, the two groups concerned are not abiding data sheet. They always want to charge higher prices.
Although all the customs houses in Bangladesh accept datasheet prices, the only exception is Benapole custom house.
The officials of the customs house here are arbitrarily fixing the tariff price of the goods ignoring the rules and regulations for the purpose of meeting the revenue level.
Mofizur Rahman Sajan, president of the Benapole C&F Agents Association, said there is no end to harassment at Benapole Customs House.
Starting from the entry of goods, they have to be subjected to various forms of harassment in inspection and assessment.
The traders have stopped the customs activities in assessment groups 3 and 4, in protest against various harassments by the customs officers.
Benapole Customs Revenue Officer Shahidul Islam said no one in the customs groups 3 and 4 was harassed.
The work is done as per the instructions of the Board of Revenue. Traders want to pay tax of the goods at a lower price. They want to call it harassment if the customs duty is paid properly.
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