The Chittagong Customs Authority has initiated the auction process for 24 luxury vehicles, valued at approximately Tk288 crore, imported by former Members of Parliament (MPs) under duty-free privileges, including 15 Toyota Land Cruisers.
These vehicles, which include a variety of brands such as Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, are currently stored in the car shed and multiple sheds at Chittagong port.
The duty-free import privileges were granted before the fall of the Awami League government and the dissolution of Parliament, preventing the importers from claiming these benefits.
According to sources at Chittagong Customs, the vehicles were imported by members of the 12th National Parliament. However, due to the dissolution of Parliament amid a student-led movement, the MPs were unable to complete the customs clearance process in time.
Some vehicles were retained at the port on September 14, with others remaining in multiple sheds. Importers typically have 30 days to clear their vehicles, but this deadline was not met.
Currently, to release these vehicles, importers face duties of up to 850%, which could result in prices ranging from Tk10 to 12 crore for each vehicle, compared to the original import price of Tk1.3 crore.
Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Customs House, Mohammad Saidul Islam, said: "A list of vehicles that were not cleared within 30 days has been sent from the port authority to customs. Letters have been issued to the importers of the 24 duty-free vehicles, allowing them 15 days to clear the vehicles by paying the required duties.
"If we do not receive a response within this time frame, a second letter will be issued, and if there is still no reply, we will proceed with the auction process," he added,
Omar Faruq, secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority, confirmed that a letter has been sent to the Customs House to start the auction process for the 24 vehicles.
The auction will include vehicles associated with former MPs such as Tarana Halim, Abdul Wahed from Mymensingh, Abul Kalam Azad from Jamalpur, SM Al Mamun from Sitakunda, Mujibur Rahman from Banshkhali, and several others. Notably, prior to the government's fall, cricketer Shakib Al Hasan and six MPs managed to clear their vehicles in July.
Habibur Rahman, former general secretary of the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA), explained that MPs are permitted to import vehicles duty-free once during each term, requiring two letters from the Speaker of Parliament for clearance.
He said: "The vehicles currently stuck at Chittagong port had the first letter from the Speaker, but the government fell either before or after their arrival. As a result, the MPs were unable to obtain the second letter for clearing the vehicles under duty-free status, leading to their current detention. Customs is now moving to seize these vehicles and initiate the auction process."