Ctg customs seize export consignment

Custom House Chattogram yesterday seized a consignment of Sagar Jute Diversified Industries containing just a sixteenth of the value of products it had declared to be exporting, in what appears to be a fraudulent incentive claim attempt.

The export-oriented Narayanganj-based company declared that the consignment comprised jute goods worth Tk 4.07 crore but customs found it to be of only Tk 25 lakh.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

"The exporter declared around 82,000 pieces of jute goods, but we found around 30,000 pieces. A departmental case will be filed against the company soon," said Md Ahasan Ullah, deputy commissioner of Custom House Chattogram.

Customs officials suspect that if the consignment had gone on to be shipped yesterday, the company would have claimed Tk 76 lakh in incentives.

According to a Bangladesh Bank circular, a total of 42 products and sectors get up to 20 per cent of the export value of the goods from the government as an incentive, with jute items enjoying the highest amount.

"Now we are collecting detailed lists of the company's previous exports to find out whether the company engaged in similar irregularities in the past," said Ahasan Ullah.