The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has mandated that import containers headed to private inland container depots (ICDs) or off-docks must be shifted from Chattogram port to the designated facilities on the day they are unloaded from vessels.
The directive, issued through a circular on 14th August and signed by Md Al Amin, second secretary of NBR (Customs), also introduced two additional conditions. It stated that if all containers from a single consignment cannot be transferred on the first day due to genuine reasons, the rest must be moved by the following day. In such cases, charges will only be imposed once the full consignment has been relocated.
The circular further mentioned that in situations where ICDs face capacity constraints or other exceptional barriers, the commissioner of Customs House, Chattogram, may authorize “dual delivery,” allowing importers to receive consignments partly from the port and partly from the off-dock facilities.
Currently, 65 categories of imported goods are permitted for handling and delivery through 19 private ICDs, which collectively process more than 30 percent of containers arriving at Chattogram port.
The NBR noted that businesses and stakeholders have raised concerns about delays, procedural bottlenecks, and insufficient off-dock capacity in recent months. However, several ICD operators claimed the congestion that troubled depots earlier has eased significantly.
They argued that the main bottleneck now lies within the port itself. “If Chattogram Port Authority provided dedicated space for ICD-bound containers inside the port, transfers could be carried out much faster,” said a senior ICD official, who preferred not to be named.
He added that the existing system of moving containers directly from the vessel’s hook point remains slow and often results in backlogs.
