Ctg custom house operations hit by power outage, seeks uninterrupted supply

Operations at Chattogram Custom House, the country's largest revenue-collecting station, were severely disrupted on Sunday as prolonged power outages affected customs assessment and clearance activities. 

According to customs officials, the power crisis began around 3am on Sunday and continued throughout most of the day. Although electricity supply was restored intermittently, operations had to rely heavily on backup power.

The situation deteriorated further when the Custom House's 5-megawatt generator malfunctioned after running for an extended period, leaving the entire building without electricity for two hours from around 3pm. 

Sharif Mohammad Al Amin, spokesperson for Chattogram Custom House, told TBS, "All our activities are computer-based and depend on the ASYCUDA World system, an automated system for custom data. We cannot operate even for a moment without electricity. Although we have a 5MW generator, it cannot sustain prolonged operation and eventually shuts down." 

He said the matter has already been communicated to the power division and other higher authorities.

When contacted, Jashim Uddin, superintendent engineer of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Chattogram, said, "There was no load-shedding in the Customs area, nor anywhere in Chattogram on Sunday. It may have been an internal transmission problem. I am not aware of any disruption from our side." 

He added that power interruptions now occur only during scheduled maintenance works in areas notified in advance, usually on Saturdays, and notices are published in newspapers beforehand.

"Unless there is a major accident, there is virtually no possibility of load-shedding in Chattogram over the next six months," he added.

In a letter sent to BPDB on 7 June, Customs Commissioner (Current Charge) Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman requested round-the-clock electricity supply and alternative backup arrangements to ensure smooth revenue collection and customs clearance operations.

The letter noted that Chattogram Custom House collected Tk76,142.98 crore in revenue in FY2024-25 and has been assigned a revenue target of Tk1,02,294 crore for FY2025-26.

Operating 24 hours a day, the Custom House processes roughly 8,000 import and export consignments daily and serves between 5,000 and 7,000 importers, exporters, C&F agents and other stakeholders. Officials said around 7,000 bills of entry and export declarations are submitted every day, generating nearly Tk300 crore in revenue.

The letter further stated that frequent power disruptions at the end of the fiscal year could hamper revenue collection and make it difficult to achieve the annual target, particularly ahead of the national budget scheduled to be placed in parliament on 11 June.