Chattogram Customs has decided to auction 49 lots of chemical products, machinery, ready-made garment products, different types of accessories and electronics, worth almost Tk16.5 crore, stuck in the customs house for a long time, occupying a huge amount of space in the customs premises.

The goods, including chemicals like sulphuric acid, textile chemicals, aluminium powder and cyclohexanone, will be auctioned on 2 December.

Chattogram Customs House Deputy Commissioner (Auction) Ali Reza Hayder told The Business Standard that the authorities decided to auction the goods for the sake of the safety of the house as well as to reduce the container jam.

At present, auctions are held twice a month to reduce the congestion of auctionable goods at the port.

Customs sources said chemicals include 152 kg of sulphuric acid (Tk50,152), 2,010 kg of textile chemicals (Tk3,31,502), 38,020 kg of aluminium powder (Tk33,77,560) and 16,560 kg of cyclohexanone (Tk18,04,555).

Other products to be auctioned include RMG fabric, new capital machinery, bicycle parts, iron products, steel bars, orange, juice, tyres, hand sanitiser products, dragon fruit, various types of ready-made garments, garments accessories, stands and wall fans, iron products, water filters and other products.

Mohammad Morshed, manager of KM Corporation, the state-run auction house, said tenders were called for the auction on 23 November. Catalogues at Tk200 and tenders at Tk100 can be collected during office hours till 29 November.

Tenders will have to be submitted in the tender box at the office of the Revenue Officer (Administration) of Chattogram Customs House and Chittagong Deputy Commissioner between 9am to 2pm on 29-30 November.

Bidders will be able to inspect saleable goods at Chittagong Port from 9am to 3pm on 28 November.

As per the rules, importers are sent notice to collect these products within 30 days. If the goods are not redeemed within 15 days of issuing notice, customs house authorities auction the goods. Many importers do not collect their goods in time. Besides, lots of goods which are imported avoiding customs duties are seized too.