The National Board of Revenue (NBR) suspects that an attack on two officials of the Chattogram Custom House may have stemmed from attempts to block the illegal release of imported goods. Recently, customs authorities seized two consignments worth nearly Tk 40 crore, leading investigators to believe that an organized group, upset over these interceptions, could be behind the assault. Police have confirmed that all possible motives are being reviewed.

The attack took place around 10:30am on Thursday in the CDA Residential Area of Double Mooring, Chattogram. The victims were Revenue Officer Md Asaduzzaman Khan and Assistant Revenue Officer Md Badrul Arefin Bhuiyan.

The officials were travelling in a rented private vehicle when three individuals on a motorcycle forced the car to stop. The attackers smashed the car window with sharp weapons—reportedly machetes—and were heard shouting “Shoot them, shoot them!” The officers managed to drive away in time, preventing further harm.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Asaduzzaman Khan said that they narrowly escaped a fatal attack. He believes that the assault may be linked to the exposure of irregularities and tax fraud schemes.

Customs sources claim that over recent months, several attempts at large-scale revenue evasion and illicit imports have been intercepted in Chattogram, and both victimized officers were involved in those operations. Authorities suspect that individuals connected to smuggling or fraudulent imports may have orchestrated the attack out of anger and financial loss.

Asaduzzaman also revealed that on October 5, someone had phoned him, issued death threats, and demanded the release of two seized cosmetics shipments. A general diary had been filed at Bandor Police Station the next day.

In a public statement, the NBR mentioned that customs recently seized prohibited poppy seeds and saccharin worth around Tk 10 crore, followed by the confiscation of illegal cigarettes worth about Tk 30 crore back in May. A large volume of misdeclared cosmetics was also detained in subsequent drives. After these operations, Asaduzzaman reportedly received multiple threatening calls. The board believes the attack might be linked to efforts to prevent smuggling, tax evasion, and fraudulent product declarations.

Police also suspect that groups affected by the seizure of poppy seeds, artificial sweeteners, cosmetics, and cigarettes may have retaliated. CCTV footage, cargo documentation, and the earlier threat calls are being examined as part of the investigation.

Recent major seizures under discussion

Two shipping containers from Pakistan arrived declared as bird feed. However, customs officers found that the consignment actually contained banned poppy seeds. Adib Trading of Chattogram’s Korbaniganj imported the goods, documenting 32 tons of bird feed. After unloading at the port on October 9, the cargo was transferred to a private off-dock yard for clearance. Acting on a tip, customs suspended delivery and opened the containers on October 22. Laboratory tests later confirmed that out of the total shipment, 25 tons were poppy seeds and only seven tons were bird feed. The sacks of bird feed had been placed at the container entrance to conceal the poppy seeds loaded inside.

In another case, customs intercepted 39 tons of sodium cyclamate (a high-intensity sweetener commonly referred to as liquid sugar) in October. The import declaration had claimed the product was polyaluminium chloride (PAC). SP Traders of 218 Mitford Road, Dhaka, imported 63 tons of goods from China in three containers. After clearance requests were filed through C Bird Corporation on October 7, the cargo was loaded for delivery. Customs halted the release based on intelligence and later discovered two different chemicals within the shipment during physical examination. Laboratory results confirmed 24 tons of PAC and 39 tons of sodium cyclamate.

The sweetener is 30–50 times sweeter than regular sugar and is often used unlawfully to cut production costs in desserts, drinks, ice cream, bakery goods, chocolate, condensed milk, and even infant food.

Md Tarek Mahmud, Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Custom House, said the poppy seeds and chemical consignment were lawfully detained and that a syndicate had been smuggling cosmetics through false declarations. He confirmed that this network was disrupted in the past two months, and since then, multiple threatening calls have been received.

According to Asaduzzaman Khan, threats began weeks earlier, including one caller identifying himself as “Sajjad” who issued death threats. He said he had been repeatedly pressured to release certain detained cosmetics consignments.

Investigation progress

Double Mooring police officials say both the recent anti-smuggling drives and the timeline of the attack are central to their inquiry. Authorities are examining whether the attack was an act of retaliation linked to recent interceptions involving high financial stakes. OC Babul Azad stated that evidence has been collected and the attackers were traveling on motorcycles. Further details will emerge with the investigation.

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