Customs scrutiny delays ambulance clearance at Mongla Port

Twenty imported ambulances are stranded at Mongla Port due to customs complications. The Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (Barvida) held two meetings on Tuesday (7 May) with Mongla Customs House and port authorities to discuss the issue.

Barvida President Md Habib Ullah Dawn said Mongla Customs House is not clearing these vehicles for various unspecified reasons. He alleged that they are pressuring Barvida to clear the ambulances as microbuses, which would incur a significantly higher customs duty penalty – a seventeenfold increase.

Barvida maintains that the ambulances meet all import requirements, fulfilling five specific conditions. These include proper registration as ambulances with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and submission of all necessary documents within the 120-day timeframe.

Mongla Customs Commissioner AKM Mahbubur Rahman acknowledged a separate investigation into a recent incident involving vehicles declared as ambulances but not used for that purpose.

"Customs and two government agencies are investigating the matter. If not proven in the investigation, the imported ambulance vehicles will be released," he said.

Car importers present at the meeting underscored the transparency of the ambulance import process and expressed willingness to address any customs concerns. They urged the swift clearance of these ambulances, a vital resource for the healthcare sector.

Barvida President Md Habib Ullah Dawn highlighted the financial burden placed on importers by the customs house's actions. He pointed out the discrepancy in customs duties between ambulances and other vehicle types, underlining the government's support for ambulance imports.