CHITTAGONG: A compensation case seeking eleven-and-a-half-crore taka in damages has been filed with a court of the port city following the loss of apparels worth about one-crore taka from security zone of Chittagong seaport.

The authorities of the Chittagong Port Authority, including its chairman, have been sued by 4H Fashions Ltd for the compensation.  

In the case, apart from the price of the lost apparels, and expenses for VAT and taxes as the loss in kind, Tk 10 crore was claimed for loss of goodwill of the company. The total claim comes to Tk 11.63 crore.

The director of port security and the terminal manager are also among the defendants.

Meanwhile, the CPA has taken preparation to face the case in the court, saying that inside the container were sacks of sand, not apparels.

Third Joint District Judge Court took the case on July 21 and fixed 11 January 2011 as the date for making written submissions by the accused.

Incidentally, several organizations also have already made allegations that a nexus of miscreants is active for pilferage of exports from the port jetty. But no effective measure has been taken against them, the losers said.

On this score, Gaohar Siraj Jamil, Managing Director of 4H Fashions Ltd, said, “We are an experienced exporter and the government has awarded us gold medal for our performance. We hope in future also we will achieve such laurels.”

The MD added: “A group of people who do not want us to achieve the award tried to tarnish our goodwill by such unfair means.”

He further said, “Each year we export apparels worth Tk 500 crore to different countries of the world. We have earned goodwill as a major exporter and importer in the country. So we had no alternative but to go for filing the case to protect our existence and get the compensation for a huge loss.”

When communicated, Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Commodore RU Ahmed said, “We cannot pay compensation on demand of anyone. We will continue legal fight against it.”

“Besides, in our investigation we found no clothes inside the container. We are sure sacks of sand were loaded in the container from abroad and taken to Bangladesh by the company,” said RU Ahmed.

According to the company about nine thousand kilograms of clothes were imported from Seiko port of China. Nice Dying Ltd and Texwingo were the exporters.

After the clothes arrived in Ctg. port customs house officers completed the physical examination of the container. Following the examination the sample of clothes was submitted on June 16. But, on June 21, they found sacks of sand inside the container instead of clothes.   

Meanwhile, there is an allegation that the officers concerned of the seaport are creating pressure on Customs Appraiser Mohammad Sadeq. In a written complaint to Chittagong Customs Commissioner Sadeq said that the terminal manager and the chief of detective branch’s port unit were creating pressure on him, trying to get his version “in their own way”.

“I became physically and mentally sick as they exerted pressure on me,” Sadeq said in the submission in writing.

BDST: 2027 HRS, SEP 17, 2010