Ctg customs to auction 72 cars, including 30 luxury ones owned by ex-AL MPs
The cars have been sent to the customs valuation department to determine their prices
The Custom House, Chattogram will auction off 72 cars of various brands, including 30 luxury cars, imported duty-free by MPs of the ousted Awami League government.
The cars have been sent to the customs valuation department to determine their prices.
"A total of 72 cars, including the 30 owned by MPs, have been sent for pricing. Once this process is complete, the auction tender will be published on 21 January," Assistant Commissioner Shakib Hossain of the Auction Branch told The Business Standard.
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These cars were brought into the country under a duty-free scheme available to MPs but were not cleared after the government's fall on 5 August.
As the stipulated clearance period expired, customs authorities opted to sell them through an auction, as required by law.
According to the Custom House, MPs acquired each car under the duty-free scheme for Tk1.3 crore. However, with the imposition of an 850% duty, the market value of each car now ranges between Tk10 crore and Tk12 crore.
The total estimated value of the 30 cars stands at around Tk360 crore.
The decision to clear the port sheds was prompted by an inspection from Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Shakhawat, who emphasised the need to remove unclaimed vehicles.
During the inspection, customs officials inventoried 103 cars, including the 30 belonging to former MPs. Importers were subsequently notified to clear their vehicles. Of these, 31 cars were released after duty payments. However, none of the former MPs collected their vehicles, prompting customs to send the remaining 72 cars for auction pricing.
Among the importers of the cars are several notable individuals, including actress Tarana Halim, Abdul Wahed from Mymensingh, Abul Kalam Azad from Jamalpur, S Al Mamun from Sitakunda, Mujibur Rahman from Banshkhali, SM Kamal Hossain from Khulna, Surendra Nath Chakraborty from Naogaon, Shah Sarwar Kabir from Gaibandha, SAK Ekramuzzaman from Brahmanbaria, Sajjadul Hasan from Netrokona, Naser Shahriar Zahedi from Jhenaidah, Touhiduzzaman from Jashore and Muhammad Sadiq from Sunamganj.
Earlier in July, seven MPs, including cricketer Shakib Al Hasan and Barrister Sumon, released their cars after paying the required duties.
