The auction of 24 luxury vehicles imported by former lawmakers of the ousted Awami League under a duty-free quota was postponed on Monday due to poor response and low bids.
Chattogram Customs arranged the auction for the vehicles, mostly Toyota Land Cruisers, after the former lawmakers failed to claim them. The vehicles were imported between January and July 2024, after the 12th parliamentary election.
However, the auction, held on Monday (February 17) at the Chittagong Customs auction shed, saw poor participation with no bids for nine vehicles. For the remaining 15 vehicles, the bids received were below 60 per cent of the reserve price set by the customs authorities.
Customs officials said that the auction had been put on hold for now. The auction committee will hold a meeting to decide on the next course of action.
According to customs officials, a total of 44 vehicles were put up for auction, including the 24 imported by the former lawmakers. Among the bids received, the highest bid was Tk 3.1 crore for a vehicle imported by former lawmaker SM Kamal Hossain. The bids for the other vehicles ranged from Tk 2 lakh to Tk 1.37 crore.
The Chattogram Customs auction branch’s assistant commissioner Md Sakib Hossain said, ‘Only 14 to 15 vehicles met the 60 per cent reserve price condition. Therefore, simply submitting a bid does not guarantee that the vehicle will be sold. The next meeting of the auction committee will decide on the next course of action. It will take some time to complete the entire process and make a final decision.’