C & F agents' protest halts work at CCH

CHATTOGRAM, Jan 14: The workers of clearing & forwarding (C & F) agents staged work abstention at the Chattogram Customs House (CCH) on Tuesday.

As a result, the regular activities remained suspended throughout the day.

Sources said the workers and representatives of C & F agents stopped work at the CCH from 9:00 am protesting against a show-cause notice and the recommendation for cancellation of the licence of a C & F agent.

They demanded withdrawal of the show-cause notice and withdrawal of the recommendation of cancelling the licence of the C & F agent.

The workers and representatives of C & F agents later at a meeting with the CCH decided to resume work today (Wednesday).

Earlier, Kaji Imam Hossain Bilu, joint secretary of Chattogram Customs Clearing and Forwarding (C & F) Agents Association, said, "Chattogram Customs House men always misbehave with the agents and their staffs. They are patronising the corrupt officials and discriminate between the importers of Chattogram and Dhaka. We are protesting against this. We will continue it until they stay corrected."

Sources said CCH commissioner Mohammed Fakhrul Alam sent a letter to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and recommended cancelling the licence of the C & F agent on the charge of forging documents of imported goods.

He also recommended action against the C & F leaders found involved in forging documents of imported goods under the Customs Law 1969. Following the letter, workers of C & F agents stopped work at the CCH on Tuesday.

They staged a sit-in programme and also brought out a procession at the customs house.

Workers and representatives of C & F agents earlier also staged similar protests several times last year also on the same grounds.

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