Expats seek exemption of demurrage on stuck-up goods at Ctg airport
The UAE-based cargo owners have demanded exemption of the demurrage on goods, brought under the baggage rule but stranded due to legal complexities at Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport for five months.
President of the UAE Cargo Owners Association Anwarul Ashraf Chowdhury made the demand at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club on Wednesday. Other leaders of the association were present on the occasion.
He said cases were filed against the cargo businesses in seven countries of the Middle East as the cargoes sent by expatriates in those countries have been stuck up at the Chittagong airport. Many of the businesses are on the run to avoid arrest by police of those countries.
Seeking interference of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in solving the problem the Expatriates Welfare Association president Syed Musleh Uddin said, “The honourable Prime Minister is very kind to the expatriates and has termed the expatriates golden people of the country. We seek her interference in the problem.”
“Our Prime Minister is a very kind-hearted leader and we are like her sons. Only she can help solve the problem. We hope she will exempt the demurrage caused due to long stay of the cargoes at the airport shed,” he said.
Demanding formulation of a new expatriate-friendly baggage rule, Anwarul Ashraf said the expatriates are being harassed by the customs authorities every now and then, although they contribute to the national economy in many ways.
He said nearly five million expatriates from Bangladesh are engaged in different professions in the Middle Eastern countries, but most of them are in the low-income group. So they send something to their families in Bangladesh after meeting their need. But the expatriates are devoid of this facility for the last four months.
They have demanded exemption of the demurrage accrued as compound interest and urged the authorities to realise charges at Tk 3.50 per unit as regular warehouse charges against release of the goods sent by the expatriates.
They said about 600 tonnes of cargoes owned by expatriates were stacked up at the airport over the last four months but the expatriates and cargo businesses have so far released 200 tonnes of cargoes. Some 400 tonnes of cargoes worth over Tk 50 million are still lying undelivered in the airport shed.
They are not in a position to get these cargoes released by paying such a large amount of money, they said.
The press conference was attended, among others, by secretary of the UAE Cargo Owners Association Md Azam Talukder, publicity secretary Md Khorshedul Alam, Expatriates Welfare Association general secretary SM Moinul Hossain Moin and publicity secretary Md Abu Taher.
