Bonded yarn seized in N’ganj
Customs officials have seized 80-count yarn worth around Tk 5 crore from a warehouse in Araihazar, Narayanganj, allegedly imported under the bonded warehouse facility without payment of VAT and other duties.
The yarn was stored in sacks and cartons bearing markings including “CHINA ORIGIN” and “CM80S/1”. Jahangir, 55, owner of the warehouse and the yarn, was detained during the operation.
Confirming the seizure around 6pm on Sunday, Araihazar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Sabjel Hossain said the seized yarn and Jahangir were in police custody.
“Customs officials and representatives of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) are currently working at the site. Police are assisting them.
Further legal action will be taken based on the BTMA’s decision after the inspection is completed,” he said.
The yarn was seized on Saturday afternoon from a warehouse at Haji Abdus Salam Market in the Purinda area of Satgram Union.
Jahangir said he had purchased the yarn from Tanbazar in Narayanganj but claimed he did not know which garment factory had imported it under the bonded facility.
Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Md Habibur Rahman said the incident originated in Madhabdi, while the warehouse was later traced to Araihazar.”The operation was conducted by the customs authorities. Police only assisted them,” he said.
Shawkat Aziz Badal, president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), said a full investigation into the yarn seized in Narsingdi and Narayanganj could reveal the actual extent of any misuse of the bonded warehouse system.
He said investigators should trace the entire supply chain, including the actual importer, supplier, the bonded licence under which the goods were cleared and how the yarn left the authorised establishment.
“Seizing the goods alone is not enough. It is necessary to determine in whose name the yarn was imported, under which company’s bonded licence it was cleared and how it ended up outside that company,” he said.
According to sources, the incident came to light after customs officials seized some bonded yarn from a Nasimon vehicle carrying the consignment to Modern Textile in Madhabdi, Narsingdi. Following the lead, customs officials traced the consignment to a warehouse operated by Jahangir & Brothers in Purinda, where they later conducted a raid and detained Jahangir.
Under the bonded warehouse system, raw materials imported with duty and tax concessions for export-oriented garment factories cannot legally be sold on the local market or used for purposes other than those specified under the facility.
Industry insiders suspect the yarn had been stockpiled for sale on the open market to make higher profits, raising concerns over possible misuse of the bonded warehouse facility.
They said such misuse could cause revenue losses for the government while putting local manufacturers that import raw materials by paying full duties and taxes at a competitive disadvantage.
