Customs find no role of onion importers in hoarding

FT ONLINE

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), in the second phase, has interrogated some 32 onion importers at its head office in Dhaka on Tuesday to scrutinise their involvement, if any, in the hoarding of the spice.

The CIID team also quizzed some 10 importers in this connection on Monday.

Md Shahidul Islam, the CIID director-general, shared the outcome of the quizzing to newsmen in a briefing after completion of the two-day interrogation.

He said they found no involvement of the importers in illegal hoarding or price manipulation of onion.

The importers sold their imported onion to wholesalers just after the spice consignments passed the border.

"If we get the permission of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) high-ups, the CIID team will scrutinise possible involvement of others in the supply chain in hoarding onion," he added.

Earlier, the CIID sent letters to a total of 47 onion importers to scrutinise their alleged involvement in hoarding onion as well as money laundering.

In the letter, the directorate asked them to come for a hearing on Monday and Tuesday.

The prices of onion remain unchanged at their previous high of Tk 200 to Tk 260 per kg, according to variety and quality, in local markets on Monday and Tuesday, said traders and consumers.