Chattogram Customs has destroyed around 91 tonnes of expired energy drinks, baby shampoo and other toiletries that had remained abandoned at the customs house for years.
The destruction process began on Thursday morning at the Customs auction shed under the supervision of the Customs destruction committee.
The auction management company of Chattogram Customs – KM Corporation’s manager Md Morshed said the goods were stored in five containers under two separate consignments and had been lying at the Customs auction shed for a prolonged period.
The destruction was carried out following a decision by the destruction committee formed in line with National Board of Revenue (NBR) guidelines.
Assistant Commissioner of Chattogram Customs House Russell Ahmed said four containers contained Tiger brand energy drinks, while the remaining container held baby shampoo and various personal care products.
The energy drinks, manufactured by Globe Industries, were originally exported to Qatar in 2019. However, after the consignment failed to clear customs there, it was returned to Bangladesh. The products later exceeded their expiry dates while remaining in storage for several years, making them unfit for consumption.
The shampoo and shower gel, imported in 2024, could not be released after failing quality tests conducted by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), Russell Ahmed said.
He said the expired liquid products were being disposed of through an environmentally friendly process. Instead of burying the empty plastic bottles and packaging, Customs decided to recycle them to prevent environmental pollution.
“Burying plastic waste would harm the environment. Therefore, the empty plastic bottles and packets will be sold through open tender to registered recycling and plastic reprocessing companies,” he said.
