Chattogram shipbreakers withdraw strike

The Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association on Wednesday withdrew the 24-hour strike announced protesting the VAT commissionerate’s raid on four shipbreaking yards in Chattogram.

The strike began at 60 shipbreaking yards in the morning but was withdrawn in the evening after a meeting between leaders of the association and customs officials at the Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate.

Sources in the association said no work was done at the shipbreaking facilities during the strike, and no materials, including iron, were supplied from there either. The association’s Assistant Secretary Nazmul Islam said the impasse had been resolved at the meeting.

“We demanded that shipbreaking yard owners be not harassed, and customs officials agreed not to conduct such raids,” he said.

He also said work would begin in full swing at all Chattogram shipyards on Thursday (today).

VAT officials raided the four shipbreaking yards – Bhatiari Shipbreakers, Premium Trade Corporation, SM Corporation, and Mahinur Ship Breaking Yard – on Tuesday afternoon.

Computers and various documents were seized during the raids that continued till night. The association announced the strike at night.

Bhatiari Shipbreakers Managing Director Nayem Shah Imran said customs officials had raided his company’s office without any prior announcement and ransacked documents.

“If they asked us for documents, we would have cooperated as we did in the past,” he said.

He also said the way the raids had been conducted had damaged shipbreaking yard owners’ social status.

“There is no way to evade revenues at shipbreaking facilities. All kinds of revenues have already been paid.”

The ship breakers and recyclers association has 150 members, but 60 are active at present.

Customs sources said all kinds of taxes are paid in advance to import scrap ships, but a 5 per cent VAT has to be paid on the sale price.

Hasan Mohammad Tareq Rikebder, additional deputy commissioner of the VAT commissionerate, said four teams had carried out the raids based on a tip-off that the shipbreaking yards had evaded VAT.