Haque Specialized Group's News

The revenue board is now planning to go for legal action as many development partners and UN organisations operating in Bangladesh missed the deadline for complying with the Customs notice regarding duty-free facility enjoyed by privileged persons. Majority development partners and UN organisations did not respond while others could not reply satisfactory to the query of the Customs Bond Commissionarate (CBC), Dhaka about current position of 267 luxury cars imported under the duty-free facility by the privileged persons of the entities, officials said.  The CBC issued letters to the international organisations for clarifying the issue within the deadline by January 31, 2017.  In December, the CBC under the National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued letters to some 38 international organisations to return or renew passbooks that they issued in favour of privileged persons of the organisations.  The Customs authority set the deadline for some 395 passbooks most of which were used for import of luxury cars.    The bond commissionarate also warned that the organisations have to respond within the time-frame to avoid any untoward situation as per the Customs law.  With the privileged pass books, some 267 are luxurious cars were imported by the officials of the development partners under duty-free facility.  Official sources said some 14 organisations have responded to the Customs authority while rest 24 kept mum. FAO country representative David Doolan, in his reply, wrote, "It was found that few of them in the list (listed as non-surrendered persons) had submitted their pass books while they left Bangladesh. However, a few of them still did not submit." He assured recovering the passbooks through continuous perusal.  KOICA country director Joe Hyun Gue, in his reply, said, "Although we have reached all privileged persons of KOICA to get necessary documents, we have difficulty in providing information of more than past five years' customs passbooks on the attached list from the CBC."  WHO administrative officer Norbu Wangchuk sought more time to search the passbooks and reply giving details.  IFC office administrator Mohammad Ferdous Hossain also requested for some additional time to find out passbook status of its three former officials. GIZ, ICDDRB, UNFPA, UNCEF, JAICA, UNDP, WFP, Asia Foundation, ILO, IRRI, IFC, KOICA, WHO and CIRDAP replied to the letter of the Customs bond office.  Sources said the CBC has found involvement of officials of 21 international organisations in illegal car transfer.  As deadline expired, the commissionarate would now start issuing show cause notices as per the Section 179 of Customs Act 1969 if it receives instruction from the NBR, a senior customs official said. Heads of these international organisations may have to sit for hearing with the Customs for removing the irregularities as per Customs law, he added.  Heads of the organisations will be held responsible for the irregularities, he added. The CBC issues pass books with certification of the heads of the organisations and they are bound to return the pass books, he added.  Officials said the Customs intelligence and investigation directorate is also investigating to trace the 267 luxury cars.  A senior official of the directorate said they got hints that the cars were sold out illegally by some of the privileged persons, abusing the duty-free facility.  "Most of the cars do not have any trace. The cars were imported since 1990s," he said.  The Customs intelligence has contacted the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to find out the cars on the basis of their chasis numbers and addresses of registration, he added.  "Around 50 per cent of the cars have been registered by the BRTA and the rest by the ministry of foreign affairs," he added.  The Customs intelligence team would also write to the foreign ministry seeking its cooperation, he added.  Buyers of those cars have also responsibility if they purchased the cars from auction.  There are four rules for handing over the cars imported under duty-free facility by the privileged persons.  The cars can be handed over to the Customs authority or another privileged person or put into auction or could be disposed of through payment of tax.  The Customs authority can impose penalty up to 10 times of the applicable duty of the car for not abiding by the law under the Customs Act, 1969. Even, criminal case can be filed against the person involved in the irregularities. The Customs authority issued the passbooks to the development partners to import cars and other goods under The Privileged Persons (customs procedures) Rules 2003, SRO 237-Law/2003/2015 Cus, dated August 2, 2003, clause 6, clause-7 and clause-9. The privileged persons can import cars and other products under duty-free facility using those passbooks. Under the Customs rules, it is mandatory for the privileged persons to hand over the passbooks to the authority concerned before leaving Bangladesh. In case of violation of the rules, the office chief/head of the development partners and international organisations of the respective passbook holders have to resolve the matters within 60 days of departure from the country by the privileged person (s) of their offices.     doulot_akter@yahoo.com....

Published at: 2017-02-03 00:00:04

Travis Kalanick, the chief executive of ride-sharing service Uber, stepped down from President Donald Trump's economic advisory group on Thursday after strong criticism from staff and the public, reports BBC. The board, which also counts Tesla chief executive Elon Musk as a member, is due to meet the president on Friday. Uber is one of several technology firms concerned over the impact of the immigration ban on its workforce. The company said it had set up a $3 million legal fund to help those affected. These may include Uber's own drivers. However, Elon Musk tweeted that he would attend Friday's meeting. "Advisory councils simply provide advice and attending does not mean that I agree with actions by the Administration," he said. "I and others will express our objections to the recent executive order on immigration and offer suggestions for changes to the policy." For his part, Kalanick had informed his employees earlier on Thursday about his decision. In a memo to staff seen by the BBC he said: "Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the president or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that." "Earlier today I spoke briefly with the president about the immigration executive order and its issues for our community," he wrote. Appearing frustrated with how his involvement was being interpreted in the press, Kalanick added: "The implicit assumption that Uber (or I) was somehow endorsing the Administration's agenda has created a perception-reality gap between who people think we are, and who we actually are." The move was backed by the Independent Drivers Guild which represents Uber drivers in New York. "This is an important show of solidarity with the immigrant drivers who helped build Uber and number over 40,000 in New York City alone," said the group's founder, Jim Conigliaro. "We are heartened that Uber has listened to the drivers and the community on this important issue that is so integral to the promise of the American dream." Uber has come in for some heavy criticism since President Trump's election. Over last weekend, as protesters gathered at several US airports, Uber appeared to defy a taxi strike by removing surge pricing - the mechanism by which prices go up on the service when demand is high. A social media campaign to "#DeleteUber" quickly went viral. However, Uber said it had not been its intention to break the strike, and was looking to help people reach the airport without paying higher fares.....

Published at: 2017-02-03 00:00:04

US President Donald Trump's defence secretary James Mattis on Friday said any use of nuclear weapons by North Korea would be met with an "effective and overwhelming" response. Mattis is in South Korea, where he has been assuring Seoul it has America's continuing support, reports BBC. North Korea's repeated missile and nuclear tests and aggressive statements continue to alarm and anger the region. The US has a considerable military presence in South Korea and Japan, as part of a post-war defence deal. President Donald Trump has previously said he wants both countries to pay more towards maintaining that presence. Mattis has been using his visit to reassure South Korea that the Trump administration "remains steadfast" in its "iron-clad" defence commitments to the region, said the Pentagon. Speaking after talks at the defence ministry with his South Korean counterpart Han Min-koo, Mattis told reporters that "any attack on the United States, or our allies, will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming". North Korea conducted its fifth test of a nuclear device last year, and claims it is capable of carrying out a nuclear attack on the US, though experts are still unconvinced its technology has progressed that far. It has also said it recent weeks that is has a new intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of reaching the US mainland, which it is prepared to test launch at any time.....

Published at: 2017-02-03 00:00:04

European Union leaders are to meet in Malta discuss plans how to stem the influx of migrants from North Africa and the Middle East. The summit comes after Italian PM Paolo Gentiloni said he had reached a deal with Libya how to stop migrants from setting sail for Europe. He pledged more funds and training to Libya to tackle people smugglers. Hundreds of thousands of migrants each year try to reach Europe. Many of them drown while crossing the Mediterranean. On Thursday, Italy's coastguard said more than 1,750 migrants had been rescued in the Mediterranean within 24 hours. The leaders of 28 EU member states will discuss the migrant crisis in Malta's capital Valletta later on Friday. The new plan is to deal with the issue at source by co-operating with the Libyan coastguard to shut down people smuggling routes, the BBC's Kevin Connolly in Malta reports. Mediterranean states - where the migrants land - want other EU members to take some of the new arrivals but have met with considerable reluctance, our correspondent says. Ahead of the gathering, EU Council President Donald Tusk said that breaking smuggling rings and stopping perilous sea journeys "is the only way to stop people dying in the desert and at sea, and this is also the only way to gain control over migration in Europe". "This goal is within our reach," he added. The EU already has a military presence in international waters off Libya to target people smugglers. Meanwhile, Mr Gentiloni said that at Thursday's talks with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj in Rome the deal was agreed to tackle people smugglers in the North African country. Mr Gentiloni said the agreement was "just a piece" of a broader plan that would be discussed in Valletta. However, experts warn reliable partners in Libya are hard to find and that shutting existing routes might simply lead to the opening of new ones, our correspondent says. An EU-Turkey deal to tackle the migrant crisis came into effect last March. In Valletta, the EU leaders will also discuss the UK's future after Brexit and Europe's relations with new US President Donald Trump.  ....

Published at: 2017-02-03 00:00:04

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard seized 20 mounds of 'jatka' (hilsa fry) from four trawlers in the Bishkhali River in Patharghata upazila early Friday, reports Reuters. Lt Hasanur Rahman, station commander of Patharghata Coast Guard camp, said they conducted a drive in the river and seized the jatka from the four trawlers around 12.30am. However, no one was arrested as the fishermen fled the scene sensing the presence of the coast guards. The seized fish was distributed among the destitute people of the area.....

Published at: 2017-02-03 00:00:04