Chittagong Customs House on Monday started disposing of nearly 6,000 tons of perishable goods stored in 298 containers as the importers left those abandoned for years.
Faisal Bin Rahman, the deputy commissioner of the auction branch of the Customs House, said, authorities will bury the goods to make space in Chittagong port and depot, which will take 10 days to complete.
On Monday, 27 containers of goods were destroyed, he added.
The list of these products imported through Chittagong port includes fruits, fish, fish feed, meat and bone meals, which were imported between 2010 and 2020, according to media reports.
The products are being buried in a five-acre site adjacent to the embankment at North Halishahar in the city.
Customs authorities say the action will reduce the pressure of containers in the port yard.
Due to the non-delivery of goods on time, there has been a risk of congestion at the port since last month, with the port authorities urging traders to remove the containers loaded with imported goods quickly.
But even after doubling the store rent, the importers decided not to speed up content delivery, prompting authorities to take such action.
According to port sources, importers often do not unload goods for fear of losses if prices fall in the market.
At present, there are 7,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers for auction in Chittagong port. The amount is increasing every year.
Due to the untimely auction of containers, valuable portions of the port have been occupied and port authorities are being deprived of a huge amount of revenue.
