Chattogram Custom House has destroyed around 91 tonnes of expired energy drinks, baby shampoo, and other toiletries that had remained abandoned at Chattogram Customs for years.
The destruction process commenced on Thursday at Customs auction shed, under the direct supervision of Customs destruction committee.
Md Morshed, manager of KM Corporation of the auction management company of Chattogram Customs, said the goods were stored in five containers under two separate consignments and had been lying in the customs auction shed for a prolonged period.
The destruction was carried out following a decision by the destruction committee, which was formed in line with National Board of Revenue (NBR) guidelines.
Russell Ahmed, Assistant Commissioner of Chattogram Custom House, explained that four of the containers were loaded with Tiger brand energy drinks, while the remaining container held baby shampoo and various personal care products.
The energy drinks, manufactured by Globe Industries, had originally been exported to Qatar in 2019. However, after the consignment failed to clear customs there, it was returned to Bangladesh.
Following several years in storage, the goods exceeded their expiry date, making them unfit for human consumption.
Meanwhile, the consignment of shampoo and shower gel, which was imported in 2024, could not be released after failing quality tests conducted by Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).
Assistant Commissioner Ahmed assured that the expired liquid products are being disposed of through an environmentally friendly process.
Rather than burying the empty plastic bottles and packaging, customs has 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.
