Air freight luggage pile up at Ctg airport

Chattogram Bureau :
A mountain of luggage carrying at least 200 tonnes of goods, sent home by Bangladeshi expatriates, has been stuck at the Chattogram airport since mid-October as, according to a top airport official, disputes between the customs and clearing and forwarding agents left the cargo delivery frozen.
Failing to have the luggages released from the Shah Amanat International Airport, the senders are frustrated as they are counting at least Tk1,000 in warehouse charge per consignment.
However, Chattogram Customs House says it has not stopped cargo clearance at the airport.
“Rather, the freight forwarders are not coming to the customs to release the goods,” Najiur Rahman, joint commissioner of Chattogram Customs told to media. .
According to customs officials, the freight forwarders had been bringing in commercial cargoes, but clearing those in household and personal effects category to evade duty. The customs house recently busted several such frauds and got tough in verifying the documents.
According to freight forwarders, the authorities could have singled out the agents responsible for the frauds instead of “suspending the entire cargo clearance”.