DHAKA: The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate has written to Bangladesh Bank, asking it to regularly auction gold seized in drives and ease the process of importing the precious metal.
CIID Director General Moinul Khan told press that copies of the letter were sent to the the central bank governor, internal resources secretary, National Board of Revenue chairman, and Bangladesh Jewellers’ Association (Bajus) president.
The CIID said the central bank has not held any auction of seized gold since 2008 despite rules to do so regularly, and it has lead the gold to pile up in the central bank.
It said the jewellers claimed they have not been able to source gold from the local market for a long time, which is causing losses to their business.
The issue gas come to the fore as the CIID is investigating allegations that Apan Jewellers was involved in smuggling gold.
The allegations surfaced after a case was started against five, including Safat Ahmed, the son of an owner of Apan Jewellers, on charges of raping two university students at a Dhaka hotel.
Five shops of the business was sealed off and over 500 kilogram gold ornaments were ‘seized’ in CIID raids.
After being quizzed by the CIID on Wednesday, Safat’s father told the media, “If my shops are sealed (for not producing papers), then every shop across Bangladesh has to be closed.”
He said he had wanted to make guidelines on jewellery business in Bangladesh when he was a secretary at the jewellers’ association, but he could not. He did not say why he did not succeed.
“There should be guidelines, accountability,” he said.
