The Customs authorities have seized a total of 52 luxury cars that were imported for the members of the dissolved 12th parliament through duty-free facility, causing huge revenue losses to the national exchequer.
Each car has a market value of Tk 10 crore to Tk 12 crore with inclusion of duties. Luxury cars imported for the former MPs are Mercedes Benz, Range Rover and BMW. The vehicles are currently remaining in different vehicle sheds at Chittagong port.
The MPs were allowed to import cars at a nominal cost as they were exempt from duty payment. The Customs halted the release of the cars after the resignation of the MPs in wake of the recent student movement.
To mitigate any complexity over the import of duty-free cars for the MPs, the Chittagong Port Authority has decided to transfer these vehicles to the Chittagong Customs House for sale within 30 days after the dissolution of the parliament.
Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Custom House, Saidul Islam, said, “Soon after the dissolution of the 12th parliament, I communicated with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to seek guidelines from the interim government on the release of the duty-free vehicles. We will take further actions in accordance with the guidelines.”
Mohammad Omar Farooq, Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority, said, “If no one comes to take the delivery of the cars within 30 days we hand them over to the Customs for putting up the vehicles for auction.”
According to NBR sources, the total value of the 52 imported vehicles is around Tk 70 crore. The least expensive among them is a Land Cruiser which costs Tk 98 lakh without import duty. If the duty for this vehicle is paid, the total cost will rise to Tk 8.10 crore. Some 826.6 percent duty is applicable for this 3,346 CC vehicle.
Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, actor Ferdous and barrister Sumon and seven other MPs who were present in the country before fall of the Awami League government took delivery of their vehicles from the Chittagong Port. As a result, the government suffered revenue loss of over Tk 75 crore.
The MPs who were supposed to take delivery of the cars are former Deputy Speaker Md. Shamsul Haque Tuku, former State Minister for Information Mohammad Ali Arafat, former MP Ferdous Ahmed, Abdul Motaleb, Mst. Nasima Zaman Bobby, Ranjit Chandra Sarkar, ABM Anisuzzaman, Md. Saddam Hossain Pavel, Mohammad Golam Farooq, Anupam Shahjahan Joy, Shah Sarwar Kabir, Sazzadul Hasan, Syed Sayedul Haque, Nadia Binte Amin, Md. Abul Kalam, S.A.K. Ekramuzzaman, SM Al Mamun, Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Akhtaruzzaman, Muhammad Shahjahan Omar, Md. Saiful Islam, Mohammad Abdul Waheed, Md. Mujibur Rahman (Majnu), Jannat Ara Henry, Chayan Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Tarana Halim, Md. Nasser Shahriar Zahedi, SM Kamal Hossain, M.D. Siddiqul Alam, Dr. Muhammad Sadiq, Md. Asaduzzaman, Mujibur Rahman, Waze Uddin Sharif, Begum Mahfuza Sultana, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury, Khaleda Bahar Beauty, Mahmud Hasan Sumon, Md. Saddam Hossain Pavel, SM Ataul Haque, Runu Reza, Md. Naib Ali Zordar, Sanjida Khanam, Masud Uddin Chowdhury, Md. Shamsul Haque Tuku, Md. Saddam Hossain Pavel, Mahmudul Haque Saim, AKM Rezaul Karim Tansen, Md. Motiar Rahman, Md. Tauhiduzzaman and Shahida Tarek Dipti. Most of these cars are imported from Japan and Singapore.
