The cargo owners and expatriates demanded exempting the demurrage from the goods of the expatriates in the Middle East stuck at Shah Amanat International Airport.
The cargo owners and expatriates came up with the demand at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club yesterday.
The UAE Cargo Owners’ Association and the UAE Expatriates’ Welfare Association jointly organised the press conference.
While reading out the written statement at the conference, Anowarul Ashraf Chowdhury, president of the UAE Cargo Owners’ Association, said; “Goods weighing 600 tonnes have been stuck at Shah Amanat International Airport in the last four months. However, the expatriates have received 200 tonnes of goods in the last two months.”
“The authorities concerned slapped a demurrage amounting to Tk5 crore for not discharging 400 tonnes of goods. The expatriates are not receiving the consignments as the demurrage is double the price of the goods,” added Chowdhury.
Demanding formulation of an expatriates-friendly baggage rule, Chowdhury said the expatriates were facing legal tangles over the baggage rules of the customs authorities.
“As many as 0.5 million expatriates in the Middle Eastern countries cannot come to Bangladesh on a regular basis. Therefore, they send some goods to their families through planes and ships. A large quantity of goods stuck at the warehouse of Shah Amana International Airport have already sustained damage,” added Chowdhury.
The press conference was attended by the association leaders, including Syed Mosleh Uddin, Azam Talukdar, SM Mainul Hossain, Khorshedul Alam and Abu Taher.
Expatriates usually send household items such as cosmetics, milk powder and soaps through cargo flights to save money.
Cargoes can be kept free of cost at the warehouse for five days and then the airport authorities charge rent.
As per Tourist Baggage (import) rules, a passenger on arrival needs to submit proper documents and fill in a form in case of bringing unaccompanied luggage containing household goods that are supposed to arrive separately through another passenger flight or a cargo flight.
However, expatriates have long been sending goods through cargo flights while C&F agents get delivery of the items on behalf of the senders, which is a breach of customs rules.