Chittagong Custom House

Chittagong Custom House (Bengali: চট্টগ্রাম কাস্টম হাউস) is a Bangladesh government regulatory agency under the Ministry of Finance responsible for collecting tariffs and costume duty in Chittagong City and Chittagong Port.[1] M. Fakhrul Alam is the head of the Chittagong Custom House.[2]

Chittagong Custom House
Formation1440
HeadquartersDhaka, Bangladesh
Region served
Bangladesh
Official language
Bengali
WebsiteChittagong Custom House

History

Chittagong Custom House was established by the Portuguese following the signing of a treaty with Mahmud Shah of Bengal in 1440.[3] Records from 1776 to 1780, mention collection of tariffs from Chittagong Custom House to be minor.[4] In 1801, rules were passed to govern Chittagong Custom House.[5] In 1853, it was one of two custom house managed by the British Raj in the region.[6] Chittagong Custom House was managed by a deputy collector during British Colonial rule while the collector was station in Kolkata. It received its first collector in 1948 following the partition of India. In 1975 the post of collector post was changed to costume commissioner.[7] The current building of the Chittagong Custom House was built in 1920.[8] In 2008, Chittagong Custom house automated operations.[9]

Criticism

The custom house hired SGS S.A. to scan containers and train custom officers on how to scan them. The process failed as trained custom officers were transferred to other postings in Bangladesh and the contract ended in 2015. The custom department then awarded the contract to a local firm, Five R Associates, for 288.6 million taka for a two-year period. This was criticised because a custom house internal report estimated that the custom house could do the scanning for 40 million taka.[10][11]

References
  1. Report from the Select Committee of the House of Lords Appointed to Inquire Into the Present State of the Affairs of the East India Company, and Into the Trade Between Great Britain, the East Indies and China ; with the Minutes of Evidence Taken Before the Committee, 1830. 1830. p. 23. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  2. "Customs House Chittagong". chc.gov.bd. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  3. Chowdhury, Mohammed Ali (2004). Bengal-Arakan relations, 1430-1666 A.D. Firma K.L.M. pp. 74–76. ISBN 9788171021185. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  4. Islam, Sirajul (1978). Bangladesh District Records: Chittagong, 1760-1787. University of Dacca. pp. 388–401. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  5. The Regulations and Laws Enacted by the Governor General in Council for the Civil Government of the Whole of the Territories Under the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal. [1793-1819.] Baptist Mission Press Edition. W. Thacker&Company. 1828. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  6. Returns and Papers Presented to the House of Lords ... in Session 1852, Relative to the Affairs of the East India Company. 1853. p. 115. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  7. "Customs House Chittagong". chc.gov.bd. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  8. Commissioner, Pakistan Office of the Census. Population Census of Pakistan, 1961: Dacca. 2.Chittagong. 3.Sylhet. 4.Rajshahi. 5.Khulna. 6.Rangpur. 7.Mymensingh. 8.Comilla. 9.Bakerganj. 10.Noakhali. 11.Bogra. 12.Dinajpur. 13.Jessore. 14.Pabna. 15.Kushtia. 16.Faridpur. 17.Chittagong Hill tracts. pp. 8, 30. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  9. "Automated Chittagong Custom House kicks off tomorrow". The Daily Star. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  10. "Scanning at Ctg Port: Govt settles for costlier option". The Daily Star. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  11. "Rejoinders, our replies". The Daily Star. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2019.


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