Ctg Correspondent

Chattogram Port and Customs House are grappling with cargo containers containing hazardous goods stored at the port. A large quantity of such goods has been piled up for an extended period, posing a risk of blazes and explosions.

These goods are lying at the P-shed of the port, which is used to store hazardous and flammable cargo. The goods have not been cleared after import and are currently being auctioned, but progress has been slow.

Among these goods, many are expired and no longer usable. Efforts to destroy these items are also hindered by several hitches.

According to the latest information from Chattogram Port, there are 115 packages of dangerous goods, including chemicals, in the P-shed, totalling 334 tonnes. Of these, 59 tonnes belong to 65 packages of old and hazardous goods.

Additionally, there are 228 old dangerous cargo containers in various yards, 46 of which are in a highly dilapidated condition. Due to the risks involved, four of these containers were sold at auction on a priority basis in October this year.

The port and customs authorities are also taking initiatives to destroy eight more containers immediately. However, these efforts have not yet been successful.

The destruction has been delayed due to a lack of adequate facilities in the country and the high costs involved. As a result, efforts are now being made to destroy these containers through the support of other countries.

Sources from the port indicate that the destruction process is underway through the Colombo port in Sri Lanka. These containers were imported between 2003 and 2019 and contain various chemicals, including thinner, acetic acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid.

According to sources, the authority in charge, Chattogram Customs House, attempted to destroy eight hazardous containers domestically but couldn’t find suitable facilities or organisations to take on the role.

A private company had agreed to handle the destruction process, but after demanding an excessive amount of money, the customs house ultimately decided to pull out.

Mohammad Saidul Islam, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Customs House, told  , “We are trying to destroy eight containers of dangerous goods. The technology and space needed for such destruction are unavailable. We had contacted a private company that demanded Tk 41 crore. This amount seemed inflated, so we couldn’t proceed.”

“Unable to destroy the goods, we returned the containers to the port authorities through the National Board of Revenue. The authorities are now trying to destroy them,” he added.

Zafar Alam, a former Member (Administration and Planning) of the Chittagong Port Authority, said, “Destroying dangerous goods is very difficult and expensive. Generally, this work is done through private companies. Unfortunately, such institutions have not been developed in our country. Previously, we destroyed some dangerous goods through a company named Lafarge Cement, but it was also costly.”