A 40-foot container carrying fabrics worth around Tk3 crore has allegedly remained untraced inside Chattogram Port for more than a week, putting an export-oriented garment manufacturer at risk of missing shipment deadlines.
The container, numbered MRSU-8692827, was carrying 668 bales of fabrics imported for Gold Star Garments Ltd, a garment manufacturer based in Kaliakoir, Savar.
The container arrived aboard the MV MCC Danang and was discharged at Chattogram Port’s NCT-2 berth on 15 August, according to documents seen by The Business Standard and sources familiar with the shipment.
After completing customs clearance and paying all applicable port charges, the clearing and forwarding (C&F) agent went to the Chattogram Container Terminal (CCT) yard on 30 August to take delivery.
But port officials could not locate the container.
The C&F firm, SRS Syndicate, was later asked to search for it. The firm said it searched for several days and repeatedly contacted the terminal manager, assistant terminal officer and transport officer, but failed to locate it.
It then submitted a written complaint to the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) chairman on 2 September, seeking urgent action to locate and deliver the container.
According to the complaint, the shipment consisted of one 40-foot full-container load containing 668 bales of fabrics imported for a 100% export-oriented garment manufacturer.
Customs records show that SRS Syndicate filed the bill of entry through the ASYCUDA World system on 22 August. The bill of entry number is C-1209166, while the bill of lading number is 802015128A.
The complaint states that all customs and port charges had been paid before the agent went to collect the container on 30 August. However, the CPA could not hand it over, although it was supposed to be in the CCT yard.
SRS Syndicate proprietor Md Hafizur Rahman told The Business Standard that the fabrics were urgently required by Gold Star Garments to meet export deadlines.
“We cleared all customs and port fees to collect the container, but it was nowhere to be found. More than a week has passed,” he said.
He added that the missing 100% export-oriented fabric, valued at around Tk3 crore, puts Gold Star Garments in a critical position. Without the material, the exporter risks missing its scheduled delivery deadline to the buyer.
CPA Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim confirmed that the port authority had received the complaint.
“The CPA formed a committee four days ago to look into the matter,” he told TBS, adding that there was no further update yet.
Not an isolated incident
The latest case comes amid growing concerns over the traceability and security of containers inside Chattogram Port.
In August 2025, The Business Standard reported that two fabric-laden containers worth around Tk1.5 crore had disappeared from the port within six months.
In one case, a customs-auction buyer paid Tk85 lakh for 27 tonnes of fabric and another Tk22 lakh in duties, VAT and port charges, only to find that the container was missing when he went to collect it. The CPA later acknowledged that the container could not be traced.
Another buyer had also paid Tk42 lakh for auctioned fabrics but could not take delivery because the container was missing, according to the report.
Meanwhile, in April this year, the CPA filed two separate criminal cases over the disappearance of two other loaded containers.
Port Police recovered an empty container from Halishahar after investigators alleged that it had been removed from the port using forged seals, fabricated signatures and fraudulent gate-clearance documents. However, the imported fabric, valued at about Tk2 crore, was missing.
Police have arrested four people, including two port employees, while another suspect remains absconding.
Another container carrying imported fabric worth about Tk2.5 crore also disappeared earlier this year and remains untraced.
The incidents raised concerns among traders and port experts over possible collusion involving insiders, as containers normally pass through multiple documentation and gate-clearance procedures before leaving the port – worries that have since deepened across the industry.
In July this year, customs officials told TBS that they could not physically locate 250 high-risk import containers at Chattogram Port that had been flagged for suspected smuggling, misdeclaration or revenue evasion.
Customs had repeatedly asked the CPA to identify their locations so the consignments could be inspected, but had not received the required information.
Investigations into some of the earlier cases also found discrepancies between physical container locations and digital cargo records.
In one case, the CPA’s Oracle-based cargo management system continued to show a missing container as being stored at the CCT yard even though investigators could not find it physically.
The latest case raises fresh questions about the effectiveness of container tracking and yard management at the country’s principal seaport.
For Gold Star Garments, however, the immediate concern is recovering the fabrics. Any prolonged delay could disrupt its production schedule and affect its ability to meet export commitments.
About The Author
