PHOTO: STAR/FILE

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Ctg

A malfunctioning scanner at the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) of Chattogram Port has disrupted import and export operations, leaving more than 500 containers stuck without clearance since Monday (April 6).

Importers have been unable to receive delivery of goods, affecting the supply of raw materials to various industries, including the readymade garment sector.

Port insiders said the disruption has not only stalled import clearance from the port but also hindered the transfer of depot-bound containers, creating congestion at the jetties and adding pressure to the supply chain.

“We have to suspend production at some lines of our plastic factory, which makes bottles for fruit juices and drinks,” said Kamrumzzaman Kamal, director of marketing at PRAN-RFL, one of the leading food and plastic processors and exporters of the country.

The PRAN-RFL Group alone owns 360 out of the 500 containers stuck at the terminal, carrying raw materials for food and plastic.

Sharif Mohammad Al Amin, assistant commissioner at Chattogram Custom House, told The Daily Star that a technical fault developed in the scanner two days ago.

“A team of experts is working to fix the issue, and the scanner is expected to be operational soon. As a temporary measure, a special order is being issued to allow physical inspection of the containers that could not be scanned,” he added.

As per National Board of Revenue data, scanners were installed at various gates of Chattogram Port in 2009 to curb smuggling, security risks, and the import and export of goods through false declarations. Currently, scanners are operational at six out of the port’s 12 gates.

Only goods from selected industrial units, including the readymade garment sector, are directly released from the port, provided that the containers undergo scanning. This process helps avoid lengthy physical inspection and significantly reduces clearance time, customs sources said.

C&F agents, who clear goods from the port on behalf of importers, claimed that the glitch at PTC has significantly delayed cargo clearance. The issue affects exporters as well.

Ziaur Rahman, a C&F agent working for SB Traders, noted that at least six containers belonging to two exporters at the Chattogram EPZ have remained uncleared over the past two days at PCT.

“Delays in clearance could lead to missed delivery deadlines and additional port charges,” he added.

He also said similar issues arise at other gates from time to time, suggesting that authorities could install alternative scanners to avoid such disruptions in the future.