Idle land cruisers, harriers find new life in govt fleet

Staff Report :

The government has decided to transfer 30 luxury vehicles, originally imported duty-free by members of the dissolved 12th National Parliament, to the Directorate of Government Transport (DGT) after the former lawmakers failed to clear them from Chattogram port.

The vehicles, which include Toyota Land Cruisers, Harriers, and other SUVs with engine capacities between 3,000cc and 4,000cc, had remained at the port for months, losing value and failing to attract buyers during auction attempts, customs officials said.
Earlier this year, in January, Chattogram Customs House tried to auction the cars, but bids fell drastically short of the reserve price.

While the average reserve price was around Tk 9 crore, the highest bid did not exceed Tk 2 crore. Auction regulations prohibit selling vehicles for less than 60 percent of the reserve value, forcing customs to halt the sale.

Following this, an inter-ministerial meeting recommended reallocating the cars to the government transport pool, a proposal later approved by the Finance Division.

According to official documents, the DGT will cover port and freight charges from its 2025-26 fiscal budget. On September 24, Kazi Mostafizur Rahman, member (Customs: Export, Bond and IT) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), issued an order instructing Chattogram Customs House to take the necessary steps.
HM Kabir, Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Customs House, told the media, “This will not only save money on government vehicle purchases but also prevent these cars from being wasted at the port.”
The duty-free vehicle facility, introduced during HM Ershad’s regime in 1987, has long faced criticism for depriving the state of revenue. NBR data shows that tax exemptions on MPs’ car imports cost the government over Tk 5,147 crore in the past 15 years.
Customs officials confirmed that except for one former MP, none of the lawmakers claimed their vehicles. The decision to integrate the 30 luxury SUVs into the government fleet comes after repeated requests from both customs authorities and the finance ministry, turning idle port assets into a functional resource for the state.