Ctg Port, customs locked in blame game over 'missing' containers, compensation claims

A dispute between the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) and the Chattogram Custom House over allegedly missing containers has escalated into an unprecedented institutional standoff, with both sides demanding compensation from each other and disputing responsibility for operational failures.

The conflict began after customs alleged that the CPA could not account for around 250 containers that had been locked by its Audit, Intelligence and Risk Management (AIR) unit in the ASYCUDA World system over the past nine months. The CPA has rejected the allegation, saying it is based on inaccurate and incomplete information.

The dispute intensified after customs demanded Tk1.06 crore from the port authority over an auctioned container that could not be delivered to the successful bidder. In response, the CPA accused customs of failing to dispose of thousands of abandoned containers, claiming the resulting yard congestion has cost the port Tk8,000-10,000 crore in potential storage revenue over the past three decades.

Business leaders warned that the public confrontation between the country's busiest seaport and largest customs station could weaken confidence in Bangladesh's principal maritime gateway, through which more than 90% of the country's import and export cargo is handled.

Compensation claims

In a letter dated 20 January, Additional Commissioner of Customs Mohammad Mahbub Hasan asked the CPA to reimburse Tk1.06 crore after a 40-foot container carrying 478 rolls of indigo fabric, sold through an electronic auction, could not be delivered to the buyer despite full payment.

Customs argued that as the statutory custodian of imported cargo under the Customs Act, 2023, the CPA is responsible for ensuring the safe custody and delivery of containers. It said the government would incur a financial loss if the buyer is refunded without reimbursement from the port authority.

The CPA responded with a broader complaint in a letter to the National Board of Revenue on 2 July, stating that customs has failed to auction or dispose of more than 9,000 TEUs of auctionable containers and other abandoned cargo, which now occupy around 20-22% of the port's container yard capacity.

According to the CPA, prolonged occupation of yard space has reduced operational efficiency, delayed vessel berthing and export shipments, increased safety risks from hazardous cargo, and facilitated theft and smuggling. It requested the NBR to expedite disposal, formally transfer responsibility for auctionable goods to Customs and compensate the port for its claimed losses.

Dispute over missing containers

The CPA yesterday also issued a rejoinder, rejecting reports that 250 containers had disappeared from the port, describing the allegation as "false, speculative and baseless".

According to it, customs had provided a list of 247 consignments rather than 250. It said most of the consignments had either already been released, transferred to inland container depots, or remained stored in CPA yards. It also claimed that several container numbers and bills of lading supplied by customs contained errors, preventing the remaining consignments from being matched.

The CPA further said the consignments had already been handed over to customs "on paper" and that the agency had been informed through official correspondence.

Customs cites legal constraints

Customs rejected the CPA's compensation claim, arguing that abandoned cargo cannot be auctioned or destroyed without verifying whether it is subject to court proceedings or other legal restrictions.

Chattogram Custom House spokesperson Sharif Al Amin told TBS that auctioning goods while litigation is pending could expose the government to compensation claims and officials to legal consequences.

He also dismissed the CPA's demand for Tk8,000-10,000 crore in storage charges, saying there is no legal provision allowing the port authority to recover such costs from customs because the CPA is already the statutory custodian of imported cargo.

Calls for accountability

Former CPA member Zafar Alam said responsibility for missing containers, if any, should not rest solely with the port authority, noting that customs officers and several intelligence agencies are also involved in the cargo release process.

He said the port's CCTV system should make it possible to determine when containers left the premises and who authorised their release, while recommending QR code or barcode-based release orders to strengthen security and prevent cargo theft.

Business leaders also called for an independent investigation. Amirul Haque, president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged the authorities to identify those responsible instead of allowing the dispute to become a blame game.

He said stronger coordination between the CPA and Customs is essential to improve port efficiency, reduce delays for traders and protect Bangladesh's competitiveness in international trade.