The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has directed that containers bound for Inland Container Depots (ICDs)/off-dock be transferred from ships to the designated depots on the same day they are unloaded at Chattogram Port. If all containers of a consignment cannot be moved on the first day, the remaining must be transferred by the second day.
According to the NBR’s instructions, charges will only apply once the full consignment has been transferred off-dock. However, if off-dock authorities face special circumstances or capacity limitations, the Commissioner of Chattogram Custom House may allow “dual delivery” at his discretion.
On 14 August, NBR Second Secretary (Customs, Export Policy and Bonds) Md Al Amin signed three instruction in a circular in this regard, which were issued to ICD owners and other stakeholders.
The directives note that 65 categories of imported goods are currently transferred to private ICDs/off-docks to ensure uninterrupted operations at Chattogram Port. However, the NBR observed that industrial enterprises, business organisations, and other stakeholders have frequently raised concerns over delays, complexities, and limited capacity in ICD operations. To address these issues and facilitate trade, the new instructions were issued.
Earlier, during a meeting at Chattogram Custom House on 25 July, leaders of the C&F Agents Association highlighted capacity constraints at ICDs. President SM Saiful Alam and Secretary General Shawkat Ali informed the NBR that although ICDs seek permission to handle more imported goods, they often lack the required infrastructure, resulting in delays in delivery. They requested approval for dual delivery facilities directly from Chittagong Port.
In response, the NBR Chairman assured that a separate meeting with ICD owners would be held to assess their actual handling capacity.
Currently, 19 private ICDs handle import, export, and empty container operations in Chattogram. Commenting on the new directive, Ruhul Amin Sikder, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association, said:
“After containers are unloaded at the port, we are allowed four days of free time to bring them to the depots. It is often difficult to complete the transfer within one or two days. If there is no congestion at the port, it may be possible, but otherwise the timeline will be challenging.”
