Imported to rot!

The Chittagong Customs House could sell only 60 cars at auction in the last five years, leaving around 887 cars to get damaged in the country's prime sea port, officials said.
The customs officials identified scores of writs filed by importers as the lead cause for the low number of cars released at the auction.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has recently told the ministry of shipping (MoS) that only 60 cars were sold at auction since 2010. Of them, 30 were sold in 2010, 22 in 2011, seven in 2012 and one in 2013. Not a single car was sold at auction in 2014 and up to March in 2015.
It also informed the ministry that 887 cars have been lying in the port for a long time and getting damaged under open sky.
Of them, 127 were awaiting auction since 2010 while 176 more joined the rally in 2011, followed by 53 in 2012, 63 in 2013, 64 in 2014 and 404 more during the January-March period of 2015.
The CPA said they hand over the cars to the customs authority to put them up for auction after 30 days of reaching the port unless the importer responds to a reminder given on the 20th day for taking delivery of cars.
Due to procedural complications, it said, the cars are not being auctioned and lying in the port for a long time, causing congestion.
Sources said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) at a recent meeting has decided that the cars should be released through clearance permit from the ministry of commerce.
It asked the customs authority to hold auction of cars at least once a month so that no such congestion is created in the port.
When contacted, additional commissioner of Chittagong Customs House Mohammad Fakhrul Alam told the FE Sunday that most of the cars remain stranded in the port due to age bar.
"Cars older than five years are not allowed to import in Bangladesh and need permission from the ministry of commerce for their release."
He said as importers cannot take delivery of these cars because of age bar, they go to the court and file writ petitions whenever the customs house takes steps for their auction. As a result, these cars cannot be sold at auction despite repeated attempts.
Mr Alam said the customs house holds auction of goods minimum once a month and even sometimes twice a month. "All other goods are sold at auction except cars due to various complications."
Another official of the Customs House said the PMO has recently sent a guideline for releasing the stranded cars. Congestion in the port will be over once the guideline is followed, he added.
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