Eighteen days into the work abstention by clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents at Benapole land port, officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and C&F agents are still at loggerheads.

While the NBR termed the demands placed by the C&F agents as irrational and urged them to withdraw the work abstention, the C&F agents are planning to extend the work abstention at all the ports across the country.

Export and import through Benapole land port, the largest land port of the country, which contributes around Tk 10 crore as revenue daily, has remained inoperative as the C&F agents called an indefinite strike since July 21 to press home their 12-point demand.

Leaders of the Federation of Bangladesh Clearing and Forwarding Agents (FBCFA) will hold a meeting in Dhaka today to plan a further action programme following a "non-response" by the NBR.

"We may call nationwide work abstention at all the customs house from Tuesday to press home our legal demands. The NBR can not impose any irrational regulations," FBCFA President Abul Fazal Talukder said yesterday.

The association leaders will meet NBR Chairman Khairuzzaman Chowdhury and urge him to take immediate action for realisation of their demands, he said.

The C&F agents should withdraw their work abstention for the greater interest of the country, NBR member (Customs) ATM Sarwar said, adding, "If they have any demands, they can discuss with the NBR officials."

The NBR urged the exporters and importers to continue their normal business through self-clearance system.

It also suggested the traders to shift their consignments to other land ports from Benapole as interim measures.

If importers start a self-clearance system promptly and massively, it will help eliminate goods jam at ports, an NBR press release yesterday said, adding that the business community welcomed the resumption of a self-clearance system.

FBCFA President Abul Fazal, on the other hand, said most of the importers and exporters have no idea about the technical know-how of clearing and forwarding process.

Only the professional groups who have valid registration as well as vast experience in C&F can conduct it, he added.

The C&F agents' 12-point demand includes cancellation of the present valuation and classification committees, fixation of duty of the "clean report of findings" of consignments, and delivery of the products within 24 hours of arrival.

They also demanded that fines on non PSI goods be not more than 10 to 12 percent and the consignments be weighed only during the verification.

Meanwhile, the Benapole C&F agents staged a demonstration in front of the Customs House yesterday and formed a platform named "Janatar Mancha" to continue their agitation, our Jessore correspondent reports.