More than two dozen apparel exporters are facing financial hurdles as their buyers did not make payment of $5.15 million against shipped goods amid the Covid-19 pandemic, sources said.
The latest incident of forgery surfaced when a local garment exporter namely Deluxe Apparels Ltd lodged a complaint with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) last week.
According to a letter signed by Md Delwar Hossain, chairman of Deluxe Apparels, they did not receive their payment worth $60,166 against export of goods shipped nine months back.
The company received work orders from US buyer-Louise Paris Ltd-through local agent Cozier TI, he said, adding that the buyer is currently avoiding its local buying agent and continuing business with other factories directly.
He also said $38,000 work orders also remained halted with partial production completion.
Mr Hossain in his letter requested the BGMEA president to take required measures in this regard and investigate how the buyer is placing orders to another factory without making his payment.
On November 30, seven more local factories also jointly lodged complaints to BGMEA against freight forwarder-Quantum Logistic Ltd, local buying houses-MMS Sourcing BD and fashion tradition buying house Mother Carriers, Pacific International Line (PIL) and Wanhai Shipping Line.
The factories are Sinha Knit Industries Limited, JFK Sweaters Ltd, Amrin Sweaters Ltd, Green Stone Knitwears Ltd, M&S Sweaters Ltd and Jaj Bhuiyan Group.
They alleged that these buying houses and shipping companies together did forgery of more than $5.15 million or Tk 431.69 million from a total of 30 garment factories.
The three buying houses along with Quantum placed orders to local factories at different times citing different buyers' names, they claimed.
They also alleged that Nazmul Huda Tuhin, managing director of Quantum Logistics, illegally released shipped goods and sold them without paying local exporters.
Mother carriers PIL and Wanhai handed over the containers to Quantum-nominated agent taking surrender letter from the buying house without required documents, they added.
The joint letter also mentioned that some factories have lodged complaints to Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA). But it is yet to take any action.
Talking to the FE, Arifur Rahman, general manager of Sinha, alleged that Quantum Logistics handed over goods without ensuring payment of exporters while shipping lines released goods receiving undertaking or surrender letter from Quantum.
If BAFFA had taken required measures like blacklisting Quantum or issuing notice to members against its fraudulent activities, many factories like Sinha would not face huge losses, he noted.
After receiving work orders in June last year, he said, they shipped goods in October and November 2019.
But they are yet to receive their payments of over $0.4 million, he added.
The factories requested BGMEA and BAFFA seeking measures to realise the money, take legal actions and issue circular to inform others about such forgery.
BGMEA president Dr Rubana Huq in a letter to the home minister requested to put Mr Tuhin behind bars to realise all payments and ensure safety of exporters and take legal actions against other persons involved with forgery.
MsHuq in her letter mentioned that Mr Tuhin is now in Narsingdi Jail after a case was filed by Faymax Sweater Composite Ltd against him.
The accused are trying to get bail, she said seeking required measures in this regard. The letter was also sent to the finance, commerce and law ministries and the central bank.
When asked, Farook Hassan, general manager at Columbia Enterprise Ltd, a local agent of Wanhai Shipping Line, said they just provide port-to-port service.
"The issue is between exporter and freight forwarder. We are not linked with it," he told the FE on Saturday.
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