Customs seize 60 tonnes of banned sweetener at Ctg port
Banned artificial sugar substitute, sodium cyclamate, smuggled using fake lab reports
21 October 2025, 18:04 PM
Govt fleet to get ex-MPs’ 30 duty-free cars
Introduced during the Ershad regime, the duty-free car facility has long faced criticism
2 October 2025, 18:03 PM
Nearly half of aspirants for Chattogram Chamber polls disqualified over loan defaults or VAT non-compliance
The disclosure comes after the deadline for filing nominations ended on September 21
26 September 2025, 05:31 AM
Exports to India via Ctg port soar after land port curbs
Merchandise shipments to India through the country’s premier seaport in Chattogram have surged after New Delhi imposed restrictions on goods entering through land ports.
23 September 2025, 18:00 PM
NBR member travels to Australia without govt approval
A Dhaka court imposed a travel ban on him on January 29 this year
21 September 2025, 05:47 AM
After ICDs, Ctg port hikes service charges by 41%
In the first major tariff review in almost four decades, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has raised service charges at Chattogram port by 41 percent.
15 September 2025, 18:17 PM
Have missing containers shaken Ctg port’s credibility?
Chattogram port, Bangladesh’s busiest maritime gateway, plays a central role in the country’s trade, handling nearly 95 percent of imports and exports. Its smooth operation is critical not only for the $100 billion maritime trade it facilitates annually but also for the broader competitiveness of Bangladesh’s economy as it prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country status.
1 September 2025, 18:00 PM
Fewer trains, bigger backlog at Ctg port
Importers cry foul as locomotive shortage slows Dhaka-bound cargo transport
25 August 2025, 18:00 PM
69% overwhelmed by ‘excessive’ VAT on essentials
About 69 percent of low-income people view the value-added tax (VAT) on essential items as excessive, according to a survey, with most seeing it as a significant financial burden.
29 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Cancer drugs, insulin to get cheaper as NBR plans tax cuts
The government is going to expand import duty exemptions on pharmaceutical raw materials and medical equipment, with 79 new items expected to be added to the duty-free list in the upcoming national budget.
29 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Tanners may get slight tariff relief on chemicals
The government is considering reducing customs duty on seven imported tanning chemicals in the upcoming national budget, offering slight relief to the country’s struggling tannery sector.
28 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Helicopter rides may cost more
From horse-drawn carriages to helicopters, weddings in Bangladesh have taken flight -- literally. What was once a luxury reserved for the ultra-rich has become an aspirational trend among the middle class in recent years.
25 May 2025, 18:00 PM
To appease US, NBR to offer zero-duty for 100 more goods
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is set to propose zero import duties on an additional 100 goods in the upcoming national budget, aiming to boost bilateral trade with the United States and cushion higher tariffs on Bangladeshi products entering the American market.
20 May 2025, 18:00 PM
NBR moves to speed up auction of abandoned goods
About 2 lakh tonnes of imported goods left abandoned at Chattogram port alone for years
15 May 2025, 15:16 PM
Ctg customs saw 12% revenue growth in July-March
Revenue collection by Chattogram Customs House rose 12 percent over the past nine months thanks to the easing of import restrictions, with shipments of Ramadan essentials surging ahead of the month of fasting for Muslims..The country’s top revenue earner collected Tk 55,346 crore in the Ju
17 April 2025, 15:05 PM
Bangladesh earned Tk 1,500cr tariff from US imports in FY24
"Bangladesh generates a negligible amount of revenue from taxes levied on goods imported from the United States"
5 April 2025, 18:00 PM
Dates cheaper in Ctg this year as imports surge
Date prices have remained relatively stable this year compared to previous years, thanks to the govt's duty waiver and a decline in int'l market prices
22 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Unclaimed import boxes clog 18% of Ctg port capacity
Around 200,000 tonnes of imported goods, stuffed in 9,644 containers, have been abandoned at Chattogram port for years – occupying 18 percent of its capacity, as customs officials point the finger at lengthy auction processes for the backlog.
10 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Under-invoicing skews cardamom market
Chattogram-based Especia International Trading received the delivery of a 10-tonne cardamom consignment in mid-January. The trader declared the import price at $7.5 per kilogramme.
6 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Customs’ sale of 14-yr-old chemical poses health hazard
The Chattogram Custom House has auctioned off 14-year-old sodium glycerolate, which is used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, without conducting any quality assessment to determine its usability, raising concerns about potential health risks.
25 December 2024, 18:23 PM
Nowfel gained from illegal tobacco trade
Former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel received at least Tk 3 crore from a tobacco company, known for years for illegal cigarette production and marketing including some counterfeit foreign brands.
22 December 2024, 18:19 PM
Ship from Karachi port: What was in the cargo?
Most of the cargo that arrived from Karachi contained industrial raw materials, including soda ash, dolomite, limestone, chemicals, onion, fabrics and potatoes
16 November 2024, 14:49 PM
Cybergangs breaking into NBR server at will
On May 20, 2024, Chattogram Custom House Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zakaria was in Kolkata, India, where he had gone for treatment a week earlier.
15 November 2024, 20:00 PM
Unable to open LCs, seven S Alam factories shut down
An inability to open letters of credit (LCs) since the political changeover on August 5 has resulted in the closure of at least seven enterprises owned by the S Alam Group, including its sugar and edible oil refineries and steel factory.
14 November 2024, 18:00 PM
A good example of a bad plan
A year on, Karnaphuli tunnel losing over Tk 27 lakh a day
27 October 2024, 01:00 AM
Two S Alam sons dodged Tk 75cr in taxes in 20-21
At least six tax officials, including the then tax commissioner, were involved in extending undue favour to two sons of controversial businessman Mohammed Saiful Alam to legalise undisclosed money worth Tk 500 crore, an investigation by the tax intelligence has found.
19 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Egg supplies take a hit
The Tejgaon Egg Merchants’ Association, which delivers about 15 percent of the daily supply of 1 crore eggs in the capital, stopped sales from Sunday night claiming it was to avoid harassment by the government authorities.
14 October 2024, 18:06 PM
NBR detects Tk 1,400cr of unpaid VAT of S Alam firms
Ten companies of S Alam Group have been ordered to pay Tk 1,414 crore of unpaid value-added tax (VAT) they allegedly “evaded” in the past two years.
7 October 2024, 18:00 PM