There are no chemical examiners in Bangladesh, and the country’s three main laboratories are being run by just two assistant chemical examiners.
According to the current organogram, there are 12 examiner posts in the chemical laboratory of Chattogram Custom House (CCH) – the country's largest customs station. However, the proposed organogram has 58 positions.
This lab in the main port of the country is running with only one assistant chemical examiner. Meanwhile, there is only one examiner in each of the two ports -- Mongla and Benapole, sources said.
Despite the High Court imposing a six-month time constraint, the directives have remained unheeded for a staggering nine years.
The directives of the High Court however have not yet been implemented although there have plans to set up and modernise chemical laboratories in customs buildings/commissionerates, LC stations of all land and sea ports of the country.
Chemical laboratories are absent in all customs buildings across the country, with the exception of Chattogram, Mongla, and Benapole custom houses although the three chemical laboratories are in poor condition. Additionally, there is no centralised chemical laboratory under the purview of NBR, which would oversee all customs laboratories nationwide and conduct analyses of crucial product samples.
However, with over 90 per cent of the country's imports and exports passing through the customs house, the chemical laboratory associated with customs operations remains dormant and inactive.
An official of CCH anonymously, said, “Except for formalin, citric acid and sodium sulphate, no chemical tests are being done, so all other tests have to be sent to outside labs. It takes time too much as the country is falling further behind in the doing business index.”
Speaking to The Business Post, Mahbub Alam, president of Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “Due to lack of necessary equipment and manpower in the chemical laboratory of CCH, proper testing is not possible. Many sample tests give false reports. The lab reports of CCH laboratory do not match with BUET or Dhaka University’s lab reports. Business persons encounter a multitude of challenges in this regard, so it needs to be modernised and manpower recruited in a hurry.”
IMM Rafiqul Islam, vice-president of Chattogram Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association and Joint General Secretary Kazi Mahmud Imam Bilu said, “Chattogram custom house requires a fully modern-equipped chemical laboratory. This lab is running with 50-60 years old equipment. Mongla and Benapole land ports are in a worse condition because those two ports are running with only one assistant chemical examiner.”
Md Main Uddin, an importer at Benapole land Port, said that their financial losses are attributed to the inability to conduct timely testing of their products at the port, due to the shortage of chemical examiners.
The High Court issued a ruling on May 10 in 2010 against a writ filed in the public interest to prevent the entry of fruits mixed with harmful chemicals.
After the final hearing of the ruling, the Division Bench headed by Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury announced the verdict on February 29 in 2012. Then in July 2014, the full judgment was published. According to the ruling, chemical laboratories should be set up in all customs buildings and LC stations in all land and sea ports within six months to test the imported fruits and release them to the country's markets.
On August 3 of the same year, NBR sent a letter to all customs houses and commissioners of customs, excise and VAT commissioners to take necessary action in this regard.
It gives instructions for creating the post of chemical examiner along with the list of required equipment. In this directive, an estimate of what will be required in the customs house of a port, how much manpower may be required to set up a modern lab is sought. Then it was sent from each customs house to NBR. But even after nine years, decision has not been implemented yet.
According to CCH sources, several letters including organogram prepared for the modernisation of chemical laboratory have been sent to NBR at various times from CCH even before the directive of the High Court. But after years of sending these letters, no action was seen.
When contacted, Faizur Rahman, commissioner of CCH, said, “There are only two assistant chemical examiners for the whole country, which is very surprising. This is a major barrier to ease of doing business. However, we have sent the necessary documents to NBR, including the proposed organogram for modernising the chemical laboratory which has already been approved.”
