Chattogram Customs House earlier this month started dismantling 182 vehicles, which have been abandoned by importers at the Chattogram port, to auction off the parts as scrap.

The vehicles, including pickups, jeeps, sports cars and sedans of several brands, including Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Tata and Honda, were imported between 2001 and 2012.

The customs law states that importers must take delivery of goods within 30 days of those reaching the port, defaulting on which results in the initiation of auction procedures.

On why goods are abandoned in this way, customs officials and importers cited a number of reasons.

They include a drop in local market prices, failure to submit original shipment documents and meet clearance permit prerequisites and refusal to pay fines for rule violations.

According to the auction section of the customs, there had been multiple attempts to auction off the vehicles, manufactured 15 to 26 years ago and having engine capacities ranging from 1,200cc to 3,398cc.

The vehicles have no economic life for being left unused for a long time, Saidul Haque, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Custom House, told The Daily Star.

The port issued several letters to the customs to remove the vehicles from its yard so as to free up space, he said.

Following the demands of the port, the customs started the process of selling these cars as scrap on the recommendation of

A committee was formed comprising several private and government organisations, including customs, port, shipping agents, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and trade bodies, and it recommended selling the vehicles as scrap.

Initially the parts of 75 vehicles will be auctioned off by weight, followed by another 53 and then the rest in a third auction.