CHATTOGRAM, Jan 27: The Chattogram Customs House (CCH) has launched an online auction to sell 100 high-value imported vehicles that have been held at the Chittagong Port's car shade for a long time.
Interested individuals or organisations can submit bids online daily between 9am and 2pm, from January 27 to February 16, according to sources.
The tender will be opened on February 17 at 2pm.
Prospective buyers will have the opportunity to inspect the vehicles from 9:30 am to 4 pm, from February 2 to February 4.
CCH Assistant Commissioner Sakib Hossain said, "We intend to sell the vehicles quickly after completing the auction."
Sources said over 300 imported cars, out of 900 lying at the Chittagong port's car shed, have sustained damage due to weathering.
Among the vehicles set for auction are 31 Toyota Land Cruisers which belong to former parliamentarians of the ousted Awami League government. The vehicles have a reserve value of around Tk 100 million each at various points.
Beside, some of the cars at the shed were previously owned by businessmen, government officials and policemen.
CCH has set a target of collecting at least Tk 4 billion in revenue through auctioning the vehicles that has fitness.
Apart from Toyota Premio, Toyota Noah microbuses, and Toyota RAV-4 cars, the models from Osaka Motors will be auctioned.
Immediately after the announcement of the auction, importers took back a total of 31 cars by paying additional fines. However, none of the vehicles belonging to former lawmakers have been released.
Officials of CCH said that duty and taxes of the cars lying at the sheds are much higher.
Following approval from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), officials have completed the inventory of 100 cars to be auctioned and have valued at least 50 of the vehicles.
Moreover, a total of 30 cement mixer machines and 10 dump trucks lying in the port's car shed are also being auctioned.
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