Two containers of fabrics sold at auction have gone missing from Chattogram Port, raising concerns over security and accountability at one of the country’s busiest gateways.
The goods, valued at nearly Tk 1.5 crore, were auctioned earlier this year. Businessman Md. Salim Reza, proprietor of Shah Amanat Trading, purchased about 27 tonnes of fabrics from the port auction in February for Tk 85 lakh. After paying nearly Tk 1.7 crore in total, including customs duties and port charges, he went to collect the containers on February 26.
“Despite searching the yard the entire day with my truck, I was told the containers could not be found. Six months have passed, but neither the goods nor the money have been returned,” Reza told The TIMES of Bangladesh. He added that he had written three letters to the Customs Commissioner over the past half-year but had received no concrete response.
In a similar incident, another container containing clothing worth Tk 42 lakh, also sold at auction, has been untraceable for the past month. Its buyer, businessman Tapan Singh, is facing severe losses.
The missing containers have alarmed traders. “There is no way such containers can simply disappear from the port. It is a mysterious and troubling situation. The fact that customs has not refunded the buyers’ money adds to our concerns,” said Eyakub Chowdhury, General Secretary of the Chittagong Customs Auction Businessmen’s Welfare Association.
When contacted, Md. Shakib Hossain, Assistant Commissioner of the Custom House’s Auction Branch, confirmed the containers were missing. “We have already informed the Chattogram Port Authority. If the goods cannot be recovered, the money must be refunded. An investigation committee will be formed to probe the matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials of the Chattogram Port Authority suggested that the containers might still be located somewhere within the port. “It could be a case of mishandling during operations. Efforts are underway to track the containers,” a port spokesperson said.