The privately-owned BM Container Depot yesterday resumed handling export cargoes, albeit on a limited scale, after receiving permission from the customs authority to handle only garment shipments for the next three months.
The inland container depot (ICD), which began operations after more than four-and-a-half months since a deadly explosion on its premises on June 4, secured permission in this regard on nine conditions. As per the conditions, the depot will not be allowed to handle any dangerous goods, including chemical goods, for shipment through Chittagong port within the permitted period.
Other conditions include mandatory collection of no objection certificates from the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), and meeting all conditions mentioned in the Private ICD/CFS Policy-2021 and Bonded Warehouse Licensing Rules-2008.
On June 4, a fire and explosion at the BM Container Depot claimed the lives of 51 people while more than 200 were injured and a huge quantity of import and export containers were damaged. Immediately after the accident, the Custom House Chattogram suspended all import and export operations through the private ICD.
Earlier on August 22, the customs authority gave the depot conditional permission to handle empty containers. BM Container Depot, a concern of Smart Group, is one of 19 privately owned ICDs through which 100 per cent of the country’s export cargoes, empty containers and import containers carrying 38 types of goods are handled.
