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Land ports remain deadlocked

C&F agents at Sona Mosque point also threaten strike as the BDR seizes 'illegal goods'

Staff Correspondent, Khulna
Another land port in the northwest faces strike by the clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents while trade through all three ports in the south-western region remain suspended.
Hundreds of trucks and rail wagons are now stranded with inbound goods at the border points.
The situation at the Sona Mosque Land Port in Chapainawabganj is heading for a deadlock as the C&F agents have decided to go on an indefinite strike from May 24 over conflict with the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).
The conflict arose after the BDR seized a number of trucks loaded with undeclared goods and banned items.
The C&F agents observed a two-hour strike yesterday and decided to observe a four-hour strike today and a half-day strike on Tuesday before going for an indefinite strike if 'harassment by the BDR' does not stop.
The C&F agents at a press conference yesterday alleged that the BDR was illegally seizing imported goods.
Port sources said the government suffers a revenue loss of around Tk 15 crore every month because of widespread tax evasion
through false declaration of goods.
A section of customs officials and some C&F agents, importers and law-enforcement agencies are allegedly involved in the scheme.
Their nexus came to light when the BDR seized 23 trucks of illegal goods in the last 30 days.
Customs officials and traders accused Commanding Officer of the BDR at Chapainawabganj Lieutenant Colonel KM Mominur Rahman of high-handedness after the BDR seized at least 16 trucks in 10 days and filed 11 cases. Mominur was later transferred to Dinajpur on April 16. Divisional Customs Commissioner Ali Ahmed denied the allegations of tax evasions.
C&F Association Vice-president Sohel Ahmed Polash said the customs authorities have the power to provide them a discount of at least 20 per cent on fruits. He questioned the authority of the BDR to seize goods five miles from the border, which they said was beyond the paramilitary force's authorised territory to take action.
Meantime, the 15 Indian truckers, arrested with 'smuggled' jute seeds at the Benapole land port, were rejected bail yesterday. The four customs officials also arrested with the truckers on the same charge were however granted bail.
This may once again worsen the situation at all three land ports of the south-western zone as release of the Indian truckers was one of the pre-conditions for calling off the indefinite strike by customs staff.
The BDR also did not withdraw its case against the alleged smugglers as promised by the government.
Goods movement through the Bhomra land port did not resume yesterday despite the postponement of the strike.
The C&F Agents Association and the Foreign Exchange Association of Khojadanga of India yesterday unanimously decided not to let any traveller cross the border at Benapole unless the
truckers are released.
Hundreds of trucks with goods are stranded at the Haridaspur border. Three-hundred rail wagons with goods from India are yet to get clearance for unloading at the Darshana rail yard due to strike by customs officials and employees.