Ctg custom to auction 28 tonnes of buffalo meat imported without permission Monday

The Custom House, Chattogram will sell 28 tonnes of frozen buffalo meat, imported from India without maintaining proper procedure, in a public auction on Monday.

The reserve price of the buffalo meat, weighing 27,980 kg in one lot, has been fixed at Tk2,44,84,399; accordingly, the per kg price has been set at Tk875 for the auction to be held in the morning at the auction branch of the Custom House.

According to custom rules, there is a provision to sell the goods in the auction if up to 60% of the value of the reserve price is obtained. In that case, the price of the goods can be as low as Tk1,46,90,639 with per kg rate at Tk525.

Custom officials said Narayanganj-based importer NB Trading imported halal frozen buffalo meat from India. The bill of entry was submitted to the Custom House on 2 May to clear the consignment from the Chattogram port. But the customs did not release the meat on a charge of importing without taking permission from the Department of Livestock Services. At the end of the process, the customs authorities made the decision to auction the consignment.

Custom House auction branch revenue officer Tuhin Chowdhury told The Business Standard, "The expiry time of the buffalo meat is in December. Since it is a perishable commodity, the initiative to sell it through a spot auction has been taken. A public announcement was made on Sunday regarding the auction. Hopefully, the frozen meat will be sold out at the Monday's auction."

According to KM Corporation, the organisation managing the auction of customs, the product shipment was in a 40-foot air-conditioned reefer container in the New Mooring Container Terminal yard of Chattogram port.

Mohammad Morshed, manager of KM Corporation, told TBS, Bidders deposit 10% of the reserved price in the tender box with a bank draft according to the catalogue in the conventional tender. However, after the selection of the highest bidder in the public auction, 20% of the bid amount are to be deposited with the customs, he said, adding that after paying the remaining amount, the goods are delivered from the port.

As per the Ministry of Commerce's Import Policy Order 2021-2024 issued in April 2022, permission from the Department of Livestock Services is mandatory to import beef, mutton, chicken and other animal meat suitable for human consumption.