Rejected foreign oranges on sale at Burimari land port

Huge quantities of rejected oranges illegally brought from Bhutan and India see open sale in Burimari land port area of Patgram upazila under the district, posing risk to the consumers.

A syndicate conducts the malpractice allegedly through managing a section of customs officials and law enforcers.

Around 5,000 sacks (each containing 20 kg) of reject oranges are brought to Bangladesh through Burimari land port daily and sold to fruit traders from different areas as customs officials and law enforcers hardly take any action, local sources said.

"I buy a 20-kg sack of substandard orange for Tk 450 to 500 on the spot, and it is sold for Tk 55 to 60 per kg in the local market. I pay Tk 70 to 80 as illegal toll to the syndicate against purchase of one sack of the fruit," said Mahubar Hossain, a trader from Lalmonirhat town.  

"The substandard oranges are brought by the drivers and helpers of Indian and Bhutanese vehicles. We collect some toll money from traders for managing law enforcers to continue the business in the land port area," said Mati Miah, a member of the syndicate.

Ram Chandra, 48, a truck driver from Bhutan, said they transport reject oranges from Bhutan and India as local people pay in advance for getting it at Burimari land port.

The illegally brought substandard oranges are highly susceptible to carry harmful germs as no check-up is conducted on them, said Abdul Quader, deputy director of Plant Quarantine Office at Burimari land port.

Contacted, Enamul Haque, assistant commissioner of customs at Burimari land port, admitted open trade of illegally brought substandard oranges in the area.

But he refuted the allegation of customs officials' getting illegal benefit from the trade.

"On several occasions, customs officials' attempts to stop the illegal business by a strong syndicate failed due to lack of support from law enforcement agencies," he said.

However, Mohan Lal Singh, commander of Burimari camp of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), said customs officials never seek any help from BGB to stop the open trade of the illegally brought substandard oranges.