Bangladesh

Customs’ sale of 14-yr-old chemical poses health hazard

The Chattogram Custom House has auctioned off 14-year-old sodium glycerolate, which is used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, without conducting any quality assessment to determine its usability, raising concerns about potential health risks.

Using cosmetic products made with dated sodium glycerolate can cause cancer and skin disease, according to experts.

Earlier in 2011, 14 containers of sodium glycerolate were brought into Bangladesh but the importer never released the consignment from the port, The Daily Star has learnt from port officials informed with the matter.

The customs authority then put the chemical product up for auction several times but found no takers until SA Trading & Co. snapped up 10 containers in 2022 and the other four containers in October this year.

However, the quality of the product has deteriorated significantly due to its being stored at the port for a long time, as per a laboratory report by Chattogram University's chemistry department from July 2022.

The lab report -- which was signed by Debashis Palit, the head of the department then, and Mohammad Nasir Uddin -- also recommended not using the product as a substitute for glycerine.

"We usually discourage the use of the chemical beyond two years from the production date," Palit told The Daily Star.

Contacted, Mohammad Ibrahim, the proprietor of SA Trading & Co., said: "Customs auction means it is safe for use. Otherwise, customs could not have sold it. As a result, I can sell it to anyone."

Multiple officials involved in the customs auction have verified that no additional laboratory report was obtained beyond the one issued in July 2022 to identify the product in the consignment before the sale to SA Trading & Co at the auctions.

Chattogram Custom Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain maintains that the chemical was sold off following auction regulations.

According to auction rules, it is not mandatory to identify the validity of the goods, he said.

"The port authority has issued several letters to remove the cargo as it contained a high-risk substance. The auction process had to be completed quickly considering the importance at the last stage of the auction. As a result, it was not verified whether it was suitable for use before the handover."

However, he acknowledged that the product should have been re-tested considering the health risks.

"We currently have no further obligations following the sale. However, we will communicate with the auctioneer to explore potential options," Hossain added.

Several companies who participated in the auction said that the customs gave extra benefits to SA Trading & Co.

Subsequently, a person named Kibria Tanim from the Bhatiali area of Chattogram filed a written complaint on November 24 to the customs authority.

The complaint states that the bidder SA Trading & Co. released the chemical with four shipper-owned containers.

"There is no chance to take containers with auction goods.  But the bidder is selling those containers in the market," the complaint said.

Without the chemical, the value of the four containers snapped up in October is around Tk 80 lakh. In 2022, the chemicals were also released with 10 containers, which were worth Tk 2 crore, it said.

The containers were sold in the market and the government lost approximately Tk 2.80 crore from the sodium glycerolate consignment, the complaint added.

According to the auction rules, the customs authority has the right to auction off imported goods if the importers fail to release the goods on time. Customs will either hand over the containers to the shipping agent upon payment of customs dues or sell them separately if the shipping agent fails to pay the customs dues.

Contacted, Customs Deputy Commissioner (Auction) Mohammad Saidul Islam said: "There is no opportunity to take containers with the goods in the auction. The truth of this allegation is not certain. However, the matter will be investigated."

The SA Trading owner Ibrahim said: "These are not like other containers. Exporters have made those for storing the chemical."

The auction documents mention the four containers as SOC 20-foot containers. At least nine auction and import documents of Chattogram Port and customs mention the four containers as SOC containers with individual container numbers.

Comments

Customs’ sale of 14-yr-old chemical poses health hazard

The Chattogram Custom House has auctioned off 14-year-old sodium glycerolate, which is used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, without conducting any quality assessment to determine its usability, raising concerns about potential health risks.

Using cosmetic products made with dated sodium glycerolate can cause cancer and skin disease, according to experts.

Earlier in 2011, 14 containers of sodium glycerolate were brought into Bangladesh but the importer never released the consignment from the port, The Daily Star has learnt from port officials informed with the matter.

The customs authority then put the chemical product up for auction several times but found no takers until SA Trading & Co. snapped up 10 containers in 2022 and the other four containers in October this year.

However, the quality of the product has deteriorated significantly due to its being stored at the port for a long time, as per a laboratory report by Chattogram University's chemistry department from July 2022.

The lab report -- which was signed by Debashis Palit, the head of the department then, and Mohammad Nasir Uddin -- also recommended not using the product as a substitute for glycerine.

"We usually discourage the use of the chemical beyond two years from the production date," Palit told The Daily Star.

Contacted, Mohammad Ibrahim, the proprietor of SA Trading & Co., said: "Customs auction means it is safe for use. Otherwise, customs could not have sold it. As a result, I can sell it to anyone."

Multiple officials involved in the customs auction have verified that no additional laboratory report was obtained beyond the one issued in July 2022 to identify the product in the consignment before the sale to SA Trading & Co at the auctions.

Chattogram Custom Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain maintains that the chemical was sold off following auction regulations.

According to auction rules, it is not mandatory to identify the validity of the goods, he said.

"The port authority has issued several letters to remove the cargo as it contained a high-risk substance. The auction process had to be completed quickly considering the importance at the last stage of the auction. As a result, it was not verified whether it was suitable for use before the handover."

However, he acknowledged that the product should have been re-tested considering the health risks.

"We currently have no further obligations following the sale. However, we will communicate with the auctioneer to explore potential options," Hossain added.

Several companies who participated in the auction said that the customs gave extra benefits to SA Trading & Co.

Subsequently, a person named Kibria Tanim from the Bhatiali area of Chattogram filed a written complaint on November 24 to the customs authority.

The complaint states that the bidder SA Trading & Co. released the chemical with four shipper-owned containers.

"There is no chance to take containers with auction goods.  But the bidder is selling those containers in the market," the complaint said.

Without the chemical, the value of the four containers snapped up in October is around Tk 80 lakh. In 2022, the chemicals were also released with 10 containers, which were worth Tk 2 crore, it said.

The containers were sold in the market and the government lost approximately Tk 2.80 crore from the sodium glycerolate consignment, the complaint added.

According to the auction rules, the customs authority has the right to auction off imported goods if the importers fail to release the goods on time. Customs will either hand over the containers to the shipping agent upon payment of customs dues or sell them separately if the shipping agent fails to pay the customs dues.

Contacted, Customs Deputy Commissioner (Auction) Mohammad Saidul Islam said: "There is no opportunity to take containers with the goods in the auction. The truth of this allegation is not certain. However, the matter will be investigated."

The SA Trading owner Ibrahim said: "These are not like other containers. Exporters have made those for storing the chemical."

The auction documents mention the four containers as SOC 20-foot containers. At least nine auction and import documents of Chattogram Port and customs mention the four containers as SOC containers with individual container numbers.

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মুরগির খাঁচাও এর থেকে বড় হয়, আয়নাঘর পরিদর্শনের পর ড. ইউনূস

আয়নাঘরে বেশ কয়েকটি খুপরি দেখা যায় যেখানে দিনের বেলাতেও আলো প্রবেশ করে না। নেই বাতাস চলাচলেরও কোনো ব্যবস্থা। এরকম একটি আয়নাঘর দেখে তাকে মুরগির খাঁচার সঙ্গে তুলনা করেন প্রধান উপদেষ্টা।

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