Seized precious contraband items can now be deposited on temporary basis with the regional branches of Bangladesh Bank or Sonali Bank with adequate security.
The decision was made recently in a meeting at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) as regards immediate safekeeping of such valuables like currencies and precious metals, including gold, seized by the Customs or courts.
The revenue board has to inform the relevant branches of the BB or Sonali Bank before depositing the seized currencies and metals.
To ensure security on transportation of seized currencies and gold, the customs authority will also inform the Superintendent of Police (SP) of each of the districts concerned that they have to pass through with the goods to reach the branch office of BB or Sonali Bank.
Feroz Shah Alam, board member for customs audit, modernization and international trade, presided over the decision-making meeting. Representatives of the police headquarters and the central bank also attended the meeting, exchanging their views with the customs authorities.
The meeting was held to ensure and simplify deposit of the seized foreign and local currencies and precious metals by the customs authority in the nearest branch of the BB.
Officials said different customs houses seized foreign and local currencies, gold and other precious metals as per the customs act 1969 but faced problem in depositing those with the nearest branch of BB as those cannot be deposited on permanent basis with the braches.
They said recently the largest land customs house of the country at Benapole in a letter requested the Khulna branch of BB to allow depositing seized gold, silver, precious metals, foreign and local currencies, but the branch refused. "The Khulna branch of BB urged the customs authority to send those seized items to the bank's head office in the capital," said one official. As per Bangladesh Bank's treasury rules, precious metals and currencies can be deposited with the BB in both permanent and temporary methods. This kind of products can be deposited in safe custody on temporary basis in any of the branches of the BB.
In the branch offices, the bank authority accepts the products as it is and keeps the packets unchanged after the customs authority hands over those to them. The BB officials do not verify whether the currencies or metals are fake or real.
Currencies and precious metals seized by the customs authorities or courts in favour of the government can be deposited in the reserve of BB on permanent basis. In that case, the BB verifies the currencies and precious metals.
"There is no scope to reserve those seized currencies and precious metals in the branch offices of BB on a permanent basis," the Customs official added. In the meeting, the NBR instructed the customs authority to inform the board immediately just after seizure of the currencies and gold in favour of state and the NBR will inform the BB head office accordingly to deposit those on permanent basis.
The NBR also decided to send letter to the headquarters of police to provide security on transportation of the seized goods from customs houses to banks.
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