Most of the cargo that arrived from Karachi contained industrial raw materials, including soda ash, dolomite, limestone, chemicals, onion, fabrics and potatoes
On May 20, 2024, Chattogram Custom House Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zakaria was in Kolkata, India, where he had gone for treatment a week earlier.
An inability to open letters of credit (LCs) since the political changeover on August 5 has resulted in the closure of at least seven enterprises owned by the S Alam Group, including its sugar and edible oil refineries and steel factory.
At least six tax officials, including the then tax commissioner, were involved in extending undue favour to two sons of controversial businessman Mohammed Saiful Alam to legalise undisclosed money worth Tk 500 crore, an investigation by the tax intelligence has found.
The Tejgaon Egg Merchants’ Association, which delivers about 15 percent of the daily supply of 1 crore eggs in the capital, stopped sales from Sunday night claiming it was to avoid harassment by the government authorities.
Ten companies of S Alam Group have been ordered to pay Tk 1,414 crore of unpaid value-added tax (VAT) they allegedly “evaded” in the past two years.
The prices of rice, eggs, broiler chicken, soybean oil, palm oil, sugar and vegetables have increased significantly in Dhaka due to a supply shortage and incessant rain.
Small-scale enterprises of Chattogram are facing a crisis of capital in operating their business while banks have disbursed only 3.6 per cent of the loans allotted under a government stimulus package for cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises.
Imports through Chattogram port fell 2.5 per cent year-on-year in the first six months of the current fiscal as rising US dollar prices pushed up the overall costs involved, according to traders.
The price of the most-consumed items during Ramadan such as chickpeas, dried peas and dates has increased in the wholesale markets in Dhaka and Chattogram due to a supply shortage, two months before the fasting month begins.
The Bangladesh Bank is yet to take any visible measure in line with a commerce ministry directive aimed at asking banks to earmark a portion of their foreign currency holdings to open letters of credit to import essentials ahead of Ramadan.
Of all the money spent behind the 4,500 types of goods imported through the Chattogram port in the first five months of fiscal year 2022-23, more than 51 per cent or Tk 104,600 crore was spent for only 20 products.
The National Board of Revenue appears to be in a dilemma over releasing an imported luxury car under the duty-free facility in the name of the former leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury.
The import of essentials such as edible oil, chickpeas, dried peas and sugar fell in July-November as traders face difficulties in opening letters of credit (LCs) to purchase the items from international markets amid the US dollar shortage.
Eight officials of Standard Asiatic Oil (SAOCL), a subsidiary of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, have embezzled Tk 21.64 crore by showing advance cost and fake bill vouchers, found investigations by the Directorate of Power and Energy Audit and BPC.
Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) has taken a number of steps, including connecting to customs management software, to prevent the use of fake import permits following the detection of such malpractices this year.
At least three import consignments were released without inspection from the Chattogram Port using the login credentials of a top customs official in June-July despite the recent measures taken to thwart such cons that cost the state coffer in unpaid duties and taxes.
