Amid an escalating dispute with the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) over allegedly missing cargo and undisposed containers, the Custom House, Chattogram (CHC) has announced plans to auction 168 containers of uncleared goods online this month to ease congestion at the port.

According to a National Board of Revenue (NBR) press release issued yesterday (7 July), the goods will be sold through two separate digital auctions.

Under Special E-Auction No 08/2026, a total of 93 containers grouped into 76 lots will be sold without any reserved value, allowing bidders to set final prices through competitive bidding.

These consignments of goods include chemicals, bitumen, machinery, plastic sheets, chest freezers, fabrics, and paper products.

Meanwhile, 75 containers split into 55 lots will be sold under E-Auction No 07/2026, featuring capital machinery, fabrics, PVC flex banners, elevators, and salt.

Prospective buyers can register and bid via the official e-auction portal after a physical inspection of the goods.

For E-Auction No 07/2026, inspection will run from 13 to 20 July, with bidding open from 12 July until 3pm on 22 July.

For Special E-Auction No 08/2026, inspection is scheduled from 16 July to 23 July, with bidding open from 14 July until 3pm on 26 July.

The release added that bidders must upload a scanned copy of a security deposit equivalent to at least 10% of their proposed bid value. This is in line with the NBR Standing Order No 91/Customs/2025/123 and Special Order No 82/2025/Customs.

Successful bidders must clear the goods in compliance with the Import Policy Order 2021-2024. The bids will be opened at 3:30pm on 22 July and 11am on 27 July, respectively.

Feud over container management

The emergency auction comes as the CPA and CHC remain locked in a feud over container management.

The conflict intensified after customs claimed that approximately 250 high-risk containers locked by its Audit, Intelligence and Risk Management (AIR) unit in the ASYCUDA World system could not be located at the port.

The CPA strongly rejected the allegation, countering that the customs' list covered 247 consignments, most of which had already been released, moved to inland container depots, or remained stored in port yards.

The CPA blamed incorrect container numbers and incomplete bill of lading data provided by the CHC for the statistical discrepancies.

The dispute has also spiralled into a compensation row, with customs demanding Tk1.06 crore from the CPA after a previous auction buyer could not receive a container because it went missing.

In response, the CPA alleged that customs left more than 9,000 TEUs of auctionable containers abandoned, occupying up to 22% of the port's yard capacity and causing cumulative storage rent losses of Tk8,000 to Tk10,000 crore over three decades.

The CHC, however, maintains that many uncleared consignments are tied up in ongoing court cases and cannot be legally disposed of prematurely.

The list comprises 83 containers from 2021, 61 from 2022, 40 from 2023, and 66 from 2024. Under customs procedures, these consignments cannot be released until investigators physically examine them.

Additionally, under Sections 8 and 130 of the Customs Act 2023, the CPA is the legal custodian of imported cargo stored inside the port and is responsible for its safekeeping until lawful delivery.

Invoking those provisions, the CHC has demanded that the CPA reimburse the Tk1.06 crore to Shah Amanat Trading, representing the auction price, VAT, and advance income tax already collected by the government for the missing container.

The bidder has sought a refund after the authority acknowledged that the container could not be delivered.

Amid this, the NBR said the initiative aims to enhance the port's operational capacity by clearing long-pending cargo while ensuring physical and financial security and maintaining transparency in the disposal of auctionable goods.