Mohammad Suman

Bangladesh is missing out on refining imported crude oil cheaply and saving valuable foreign currencies as it uses a plant that is more than half a century old and has failed to set up a new unit in a decade.

As the monsoon begins, traders in Khatunganj, the country’s largest wholesale hub for essential commodities, are fearing recurrence of the menace of waterlogging and subsequent losses as two projects involving nearly Tk 8,000 crore aimed at solving the problem of inundation in the port city are only halfway through.

The government has amended the Customs Act, doubling the penalty for providing incorrect information in import and export documents even though wrong declarations do not lead to any duty evasion.

Four corporate houses based in Chattogram have expressed willingness to extend their free oxygen supply support to Covid-19 patients and hospitals at border districts.

Domestic manufacturing might enjoy a big boost as the government plans to encourage local investment in products labelled “Made in Bangladesh”.

The National Board of Revenue has formulated customs rules to facilitate the movement of Indian goods via Bangladesh to northeast India and other countries under the transit and transhipment deal signed by New Delhi and Dhaka.

Various trade bodies in Chattogram have urged the government to increase its special allocation for the port city’s development projects in the national budget for fiscal 2021-22.

Edible oil manufacturers have reinstated a hike of around 2 per cent to take the price per litre to Tk 144, making availing daily essentials even more difficult for pandemic-hit people.

Soon after the murder of his wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu, former Superintendent of Police (SP) Babul Akter sent Tk three lakh to prime accused Kamrul Islam Sikdar Musa via his business partner, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) said in its final reports submitted to Chattogram Court on Wednesday.

It is a 1,496 cubic centimetres (cc) car. If you import two of the identical sport utility vehicles – one through Chattogram port and another through Mongla Port -- you are likely to see a gap in the assessment of the import value of the vehicles by customs in the two ports.

Edible oil prices witnessed a fresh spike over the last few days in line with rising international prices and supply rationing by processors and wholesalers, a development that will affect fixed and low-income earners.

Solar home systems (SHS) saved Bangladesh $1,852 million while providing clean energy for the past 15 years since 2003, says a World Bank survey.

Chattogram Custom House has started disposing of 298 containers filled with perishable goods that were left abandoned by importers at the country’s premier seaport for years.

Chattogram Customs House will auction off around 1,050 tonnes of abandoned goods worth Tk 45 crore on Sunday. It will get rid of around 50 lots of goods, including 180 pieces of CNG-run auto-rickshaws, 150 tonnes of garment fabrics, 300 tonnes of steel items, and 130 tonnes of chemicals.

Retailers and wholesalers in Chattogram market are continuing to charge Tk 3 to Tk 4 higher than the Tk 115 fixed by the government as the retail price of each litre of loose soybean oil four days ago.

Prices of many essential commodities, such as edible oil, chickpeas and sugar, have gone up at both retail and wholesale markets across Chattogram despite a rise in imports in the past three months.

In line with the growing market trend of brand new cars, PHP Automobiles, one of the country’s leading car makers, plans to increase its assembling capacity as well as locally manufacturing a majority of the components.

Bearing telltale signs of an illegal courier service, some 70 tonnes of personal goods and contraband items were seized by Chattogram Customs House on Sunday for being imported under a false declaration of being factory machinery, apparently to evade duty.

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, four expatriates returned from Saudi Arabia by air on November 29 last year.

The Chattogram City Corporation polls yesterday were marred by violence and the capture of scores of polling centres by Awami League men amid a low turnout of voters.