A consignment of 4,237kg of fabrics imported from China was fraudulently released from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s cargo terminal without any customs entry or duty payment, according to an intelligence investigation that has uncovered a coordinated scheme involving airline staff, customs officials and clearing agents.
The shipments, which arrived on November 17, 23 and 24, 2025, were cleared from the cargo terminal on November 27 without a bill of entry or formal customs clearance, the probe report submitted to the relevant authorities states.
How the fraud occurred
Investigators found that the consignments arrived in Dhaka via Tianjin Air Cargo and SF Airlines under airway bills 821-80228711, 877-11369595, 921-60228696 and 877-11370214.
Despite the absence of proper documentation, the fabrics were released from the airport cargo facility.
Intelligence officials say the clearance was facilitated by a corrupt network operating within both airline and customs operations, allowing the goods to bypass the mandatory bill of entry and duty payment process.
Although rumours about irregularities circulated within the airport, a formal investigation began only after intelligence officers launched a probe and began examining cargo records.
Checks of the gate register revealed the airway bill numbers linked to the shipments, but investigators could not locate any corresponding bill of entry documentation.
Further verification in the import airway delivery section showed that the listed airway bills had been uplifted on December 5 and December 27 with the assistance of clearing and forwarding (C&F) firms Bari Enterprise and Al Itihad, using forged identity papers and fabricated documents.
However, no bill of entry for the shipments could be found on customs servers.
Investigators also learned from airline records that on January 9 at 9pm, documents relating to four bills of entry were handed to Bangladesh Biman officers Commercial Supervisor Kazi Mohammad Shahjalal, Montachar Rahman, and Md Rajib Sharif.
The report alleges that the officers demanded the documents be “regularized” in exchange for money.
Company identity used without knowledge
During the investigation, intelligence officials spoke with Md Humayan Kabir Khan, managing director of HBS Apparels Ltd, whose company name appeared in the shipment records.
He told investigators that his company had not imported any goods under the cited airway bills, leading investigators to conclude that the company’s identity had been fraudulently used to process the consignments.
The probe identified Kazi Mohammad Shahjalal and Montachar Rahman as directly involved in the unlawful clearance and subsequent attempts to fabricate documentation.
Investigators said their long tenure in the cargo section allowed them to exercise undue influence, including manipulating duty rosters, controlling operational processes and ignoring supervisory oversight.
Several other officials were also named in connection with the clearance process. These include junior commercial officer Abul Kalam, assistant commercial managers Md Rafiqul Alam and Ebadat Hossain, junior security officer Benjir Ahmed, security supervisor Firoz Iftekhar, and cargo helpers Shahin Sheikh, Shahdat Hossain and Shawon Ahmed Raju.
Additionally, assistant revenue officers Shamim Ahmed and Ragib Hosain were implicated in the investigation.
Although Bari Enterprise and Al Itihad were initially listed as C&F firms involved in the clearance, investigators found that one certificate had been forged and that no C&F firm named Al Itihad actually exists.
The employees involved in the documentation -- Md Abu Taleb, Rakibul and Junayed -- were identified as workers of another C&F company, Shohel B M Enterprise Ltd.
Legal action
Based on the findings, investigators recommended immediate legal proceedings against Kazi Mohammad Shahjalal and Montachar Rahman, citing strong evidence of direct involvement in the fraud.
They also advised dismantling what they described as a syndicate operating within the airport cargo section by removing the implicated officials from their positions.
The report further recommends legal action and blacklisting of C&F employees Junayed, Rakibul and Abu Taleb.
For negligence of duty and alleged facilitation of the illegal clearance, investigators suggested legal action under relevant airline and customs laws against Abul Kalam, Md Rafiqul Alam, Ebadat Hossain, Benjir Ahmed, Shahdat Hossain, Shahin Sheikh, Shawon Ahmed, Firoz Iftekhar, Shamim Ahmed and Ragib Hosain.
Md Khairul Alam Bhuiyan Mithu, vice-president of the Dhaka Customs House C&F Agent Association, said those involved in such crimes should face strict punishment.
“Such activities are unacceptable. Those involved must be punished. That is our demand,” he said.
When contacted for comment, multiple officials from both the airline and customs authorities declined to respond.