¹[ 18. (1) Except as hereinafter provided, customs-duties shall be levied at such rates as are prescribed in the First Schedule ²[ * * *] or under any other law for the time being in force on

(a) goods imported into, or exported from, Bangladesh;

(b) goods brought from any foreign country to any customs-station, and without payment of duty there, transhipped or transported for, or thence carried to, and imported at, any other customs station; and

(c) goods brought in bond from one customs station to another ³[ :

⁴[Provided that no customs duty and regulatory duty under this Act or any other tax leviable under any other law for the time being in force shall, subject to such conditions, limitations or restrictions as the Board may, from time to time, by notification in the official Gazette, impose, be levied or collected in respect thereof, if the value of the goods for assessment purpose in any one consignment does not exceed two thousand taka. ]

⁵[ (2) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, levy, subject to such conditions, limitations or restrictions as it may deem fit to impose, a regulatory duty on all or any of the goods specified in the First Schedule at the rate not exceeding ⁶[ two times of] the highest rate of customs-duty ⁷[ * * *] specified in the said Schedule.]

⁸[ Explanation.- The rate of regulatory duty on any such goods may be higher than that of the customs-duty leviable on that goods as prescribed in the said Schedule, provided such regulatory duty does not exceed ⁹[ two times of] the highest rate of customs-duty of that Schedule.]

(3) The regulatory duty levied under sub section (2) shall be in addition to any duty imposed under sub section (1) or under any other law for the time being in force.

(4) Any notification issued under sub section (2) shall, if not earlier rescinded, stand rescinded on the expiry of the financial year in which it was issued.]

(5) and (6) [Added by section 5 of অর্থ আইন, ১৯৯৩ (১৯৯৩ সনের ১৮ নং আইন) and subsequently omitted by section 5 of অর্থ আইন, ১৯৯ (১৯৯৫ সনের ১২ নং আইন) ]

¹⁰[18A. (1) Where any country or territory pays, bestows, directly or indirectly, any subsidy upon the manufacture or production therein or the exportation therefrom of any goods including any subsidy on transportation of such goods, then, upon the importation of any such goods into Bangladesh, whether the same is imported directly from the country of manufacture, production or otherwise, and whether it is imported in the same condition as when exported from the country of manufacture or production or has been changed in condition by manufacture, production or otherwise, the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, impose a countervailing duty not exceeding the amount of such subsidy.

Explanation.- For the purposes of this section, subsidy shall be deemed to exist, if-

(a) there is financial contribution by a Government, or any public body within the territory of the exporting or producing country, that is, where-

(i) a Government practice involves a direct transfer of funds (including grants, loans and equity infusion) or potential direct transfer of funds or liabilities or both;

(ii) Government revenue that is otherwise due is forgone or not collected (including fiscal incentives);

(iii) a Government provides goods or services other than general infrastructure or purchases goods;

(iv) a Government makes payments to funding mechanism, or entrusts or directs a private body to carry out one or more of the type of functions specified in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) which would normally be vested in the Government and the practice, in no real sense, differs from practices normally followed by Governments; or

(b) a Government grants or maintains any form of income or price support, which operates directly or indirectly to increase export of any goods from, or to reduce import of any goods to its territory, and a benefit is thereby conferred.

(2) The Government may, pending the determination of the amount of subsidy, in accordance with the provisions of this section and the rules made thereunder impose a countervailing duty under this sub-section not exceeding the amount of such subsidy as provisionally estimated by it and if such countervailing duty exceeds the subsidy as so determined,-

(a) the Government shall, having regard to such determination and as soon as may be after such determination reduce such countervailing duty; and

(b) refund shall be made of so much of such countervailing duty which has been collected as is in excess of the countervailing duty as so reduced.

(3) Subject to any rules made by the Government, by notification in the official Gazette, the countervailing duty under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall not be levied unless it is determined that-

(a) the subsidy relates to export performance;

(b) the subsidy relates to the use of domestic raw materials over imported raw materials in the exported goods; or

(c) the subsidy has been conferred on a limited number of persons engaged in manufacturing, producing or exporting the goods unless such a subsidy is for-

(i) research activities conducted by or on behalf of persons engaged in the manufacture, production or export; or

(ii) assistance to disadvantaged regions within the territory of the exporting country; or

(iii) assistance to promote adaptation of existing facilities to new environmental requirements.

(4) If the Government, is of the opinion that the injury to the domestic industry which is difficult to repair, is caused by massive imports in a relatively short period, of the goods benefiting from subsidies paid or bestowed and where in order to preclude the recurrence of such injury, it is necessary to levy countervailing duty retrospectively, the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, impose countervailing duty from a date prior to the date of imposition of countervailing duty under sub-section (2) but not beyond ninety days from the date of notification under that sub-section and notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, such duty shall be payable from the date as specified in the notification issued under this sub-section.

(5) The countervailing duty chargeable under this section shall be in addition to any other duty imposed under this Act or any other law for the time being in force.

(6) The countervailing duty imposed under this section shall unless revoked earlier, cease to have effect on the expiry of five years from the date of such imposition:

Provided that if the Government, in a review, is of the opinion that the cessation of such duty is likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of subsidisation and injury, it may, from time to time, extend the period of such imposition for a further period of five years and such further period shall commence from the date of order of such extension:

Provided further that where a review initiated before the expiry of the aforesaid period of five years has not come to a conclusion before such expiry, the countervailing duty may continue to remain in force pending outcome of such a review for a further period not exceeding one year.

(7) The amount of any subsidy referred to in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall, from time to time, be ascertained and determined by the Government, after such inquiry as it may consider necessary and the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for the identification of such goods and for the assessment and collection of any countervailing duty imposed upon the importation thereof under this section.

(8) No proceeding for imposition of countervailing duty under this section shall commence unless the Bangladesh Tariff Commission, on receipt of a written application by or on behalf of a domestic industry, informs the Government that there is prima-facie evidence of injury which is caused by direct or indirect subsidy on any particular imported goods.

18B. (1) Where any goods are exported from any country or territory (hereinafter in this section referred to as the exporting country or territory) to Bangladesh at less than the normal value, then, upon the importation of such goods into Bangladesh, the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, impose an anti-dumping duty not exceeding the margin of dumping in relation to such goods.

Explanation.- For the purposes of this section,-

(a) “margin of dumping”, in relation to any goods, means the difference between its export price and its normal value;

(b) “export price”, in relation to any goods, means the price of the goods exported from the exporting country or territory and in cases where there is no export price or where the export price is unreliable because of association or a compensatory arrangement between the exporter and the importer or a third party, the export price may be constructed on the basis of the price at which the imported goods are first resold to an independent buyer, or if the goods are not resold to an independent buyer, or not resold in the condition as imported, on such reasonable basis as may be determined in accordance with the rules made under sub-section (6);

(c) “normal value”, in relation to any goods, means-

(i) the comparable price, in the ordinary course of trade, for the like goods when meant for consumption in the exporting country or territory as determined in accordance with the rules made under sub-section (6); or

(ii) when there are no sales of the like goods in the ordinary course of trade in the domestic market of the exporting country or territory, or, when because of the particular market situation or low volume of the sales in the domestic market of the exporting country or territory, such sales do not permit a proper comparison, the normal value shall be either-

(a) comparable representative price of the like goods when exported from the exporting country or territory or an appropriate third country as determined in accordance with the rules made under sub-section (6); or

(b) the cost of production of the said goods in the country of origin along with reasonable addition for administrative, selling and general costs and for profits, as determined in accordance with the rules made under sub-section (6):

Provided that in the case of import of the goods from a country other than the country of origin and where the goods have been merely transhipped through the country of export or such goods are not produced in the country of export, or there is no comparable price in the country of export, the normal value shall be determined with reference to the price in country of origin.

(2) The Government may, pending the determination of the normal value and the margin of dumping in relation to any goods, in accordance with the provisions of this section and the rules made thereunder, impose on the importation of such goods into Bangladesh an anti-dumping duty on the basis of a provisional estimate of such value and margin and if such anti-dumping duty exceeds the margin as so determined-

(a) the Government shall, having regard to such determination and as soon as may be after such determination, reduce such anti-dumping duty; and

(b) refund shall be made of so much of the anti-dumping duty which has been collected as is in excess of anti-dumping duty as so reduced.

(3) if the Government, in respect of the dumped goods under inquiry, is of the opinion that-

(i) there is a history of dumping which caused injury or that the importer was, or should have been, aware that the exporter practices dumping and that such dumping cause injury; and

(ii) the injury is caused by massive dumping of goods imported in a relatively short time which in light of the timing and the volume of imported goods dumped and other circumstances, is likely to seriously undermine the remedial effect of the anti-dumping duty liable to be levied, the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, levy anti-dumping duty retrospectively from a date prior to the date of imposition of anti-dumping duty under sub-section (2) but not beyond ninety days from the date of notification under that sub-section and notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, such duty shall be payable at such rate and from such date as may be specified in the notification.

(4) The anti-dumping duty chargeable under this section shall be in addition to any other duty imposed under this Act or any other law for the time being in force.

(5) The anti-dumping duty imposed under this section shall, unless revoked earlier, cease to have effect on the expiry of five years from the date of such imposition:

Provided that if the Government, in a review, is of the opinion that the cessation of such duty is likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping and injury, it may, from time to time, extend the period of such imposition for a further period of five years and such further period shall commence from the date of order of such extension:

Provided further that where a review initiated before the expiry of the aforesaid period of five years has not come to a conclusion before such expiry, the anti-dumping duty may continue to remain in force pending the outcome of such a review for a further period not exceeding one year.

(6) The margin of dumping as referred to in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall, from time to time, as ascertained and determined by the Government after such inquiry as it may consider necessary and the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for the purposes of this section and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, such rules may provide for the manner in which goods liable for any anti-dumping duty under this section may be identified and for the manner in which the export price and the normal value of and the margin of dumping in relation to such goods may be determined and for the assessment and collection of such anti-dumping duty.

(7) No proceeding for imposition of anti-dumping duty under this section shall commence unless the Bangladesh Tariff Commission, on receipt of a written application by or on behalf of a domestic industry, informs the Government that there is prima-facie evidence of injury which is caused by dumping on any particular imported goods.

18C. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 18A or section 18B-

(a) no goods shall be subjected to both countervailing duty and anti-dumping duty to compensate for the same situation of dumping or export subsidisation;

(b) The Government shall not levy any countervailing duty or anti-dumping duty-

(i) under section 18A or section 18B by reasons of exemption of such goods from duties or taxes borne by the like goods when meant for consumption in the country of origin or exportation or by reasons of refund of such duties or taxes;

(ii) under sub-section (1) of each of these sections, on the import into Bangladesh of any goods from a member country of the World Trade Organization or from a country with which the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh has a most favoured nation agreement (hereinafter referred as a specified country), unless in accordance with the rules made under sub-section (2) of this section, a determination has been made that import of such goods into Bangladesh causes or threatens to cause material injury to any established industry in Bangladesh or materially retards the establishment of any industry in Bangladesh; and

(iii) under sub-section (2) of each of these sections on import into Bangladesh of any goods from the specified countries unless in accordance with the rules made under sub-section (2) of this section, preliminary findings have been made of subsidy or dumping and consequent injury to domestic industry; and a further determination has also been made that a duty is necessary to prevent injury being caused during the investigation:

Provided that nothing contained in sub-clauses (ii) and (iii) of clause (b) shall apply if a countervailing duty or an anti-dumping duty has been imposed on any goods to prevent injury or threat of an injury to the domestic industry of a third country exporting the like goods to Bangladesh;

(c) The Government may not levy-

(i) any countervailing duty under section 18A, at any time, upon receipt of satisfactory voluntary undertaking from the Government of the exporting country or territory agreeing to eliminate or limit the subsidy or take other measures concerning its effect, or the exporter agreeing to revise the price of the goods and if the Government is satisfied that injurious effect of the subsidy is eliminated thereby;

(ii) any anti-dumping duty under section 18B, at any time upon receipt of satisfactory voluntary undertaking from any exporter to revise its prices or to cease exports to the area in question at dumped price and if the Government is satisfied that the injurious effect of dumping is eliminated by such action.

(2) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for the purposes of this section, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, such rules may provide for the manner in which any investigation may be made for the purposes of this section, the factors to which regard shall be paid in any such investigation and for all matters connected with such investigation.

18D. (1) An appeal against the order of determination or review thereof regarding the existence, degree and effect of any subsidy or dumping in relation to import of any goods shall lie to the Customs, Excise and মূল্য সংযোজন কর Appellate Tribunal constituted under section 196.

(2) Every appeal under this section shall be filed within ninety days of the date of order under appeal:

Provided that the Appellate Tribunal may entertain any appeal after the expiry of the said period of ninety days, if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.

(3) The Appellate Tribunal may, after giving the parties to the appeal, an opportunity of being heard, pass such orders thereon as it thinks fit, confirming, modifying or annulling the order appealed against.

(4) Every appeal under sub-section (1) shall be heard by a special Bench constituted by the President of the Appellate Tribunal for hearing such appeals and such Bench shall consist of the President and not less than two members and shall include one technical member and one judicial member.]

¹¹[18E. (1) If the Government, after conducting such enquiry as it deems fit, is satisfied that any article is being imported into Bangladesh in such increased quantities and under such conditions that such importation may cause or threaten to cause serious injury to domestic industry, it may, by notification in the official Gazette, impose a safeguard duty on that article:

Provided that the Government, may, by notification in the official Gazette, exempt any goods from the whole or any part of safeguard duty leviable thereon, subject to such conditions, limitations or restrictions as it thinks fit to impose.

(2) The Government may, pending the determination under sub-section (1) of the injury or threat thereof, impose a provisional safeguard duty on the basis of a preliminary determination in the prescribed manner that increased imports have caused or threatened to cause serious injury to a domestic industry:

Provided that where, on final determination, the Government is of the opinion that increased imports have not caused or threatened to cause serious injury to a domestic industry, it shall refund the duty so collected:

Provided further that the provisional safeguard duty shall not remain in force for more than two hundred days from the date on which it was imposed.

(3) The duty chargeable under this section shall be in addition to any other duty imposed under this Act or under any other law for the time being in force.

(4) The duty imposed under this section shall, unless revoked earlier, cease to have effect on the expiry of four years from the date of such imposition:

Provided that if the Government is of the opinion that the domestic industry has taken measures to adjust to such injury or threat thereof and it is necessary that the safeguard duty should continue to be imposed, it may extend the period of such imposition:

Provided further that in no case the safeguard duty shall continue to be imposed beyond a period of ten years from the date on which such duty was first imposed.

(5) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for the purposes of this section, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, such rules may provide for the manner in which articles liable for safeguard duty may be identified and for the manner in which the causes of serious injury or causes of threat of serious injury in relation to such articles may be determined and for the assessment and collection of such safeguard duty.

(6) For the purposes of this section,-

(a) “domestic industry” means the producers-

(i) as a whole of the like article or a directly competitive article in Bangladesh; or

(ii) whose collective output of the like article or a directly competitive article in Bangladesh constitutes a major share of the total production of the said article in Bangladesh;

(b) “serious injury” means an injury causing significant overall impairment in the position of a domestic industry;

(c) “threat of serious injury” means a clear and imminent danger of serious injury.]

19. ¹²[(1)] ¹³[If the Government is satisfied, after consultation with the Board, that it is necessary in the public interest to do so, it may, subject to such conditions, limitations or restrictions, if any, as it thinks fit to impose], by notification in the official Gazette, exempt any goods imported into, or exported from, Bangladesh or into or from any specified port or station or area therein, from the whole or any part of the customs-duties chargeable thereon ¹⁴[: Provided that if, in a financial year, exemption under this sub-section is given in respect of any goods, the rate of duty cannot be changed more than once in that year so as to increase that rate.] ¹⁵[(2) An exemption granted under sub-section (1) shall be effective from the date mentioned in the notification issued under that sub-section.]

20. ¹⁷[If the ¹⁸[Government] is satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest to do so, it may, under circumstances of exceptional nature], subject to such conditions, limitations or restrictions, if any, as it thinks fit to impose, by a special order in each case recording such circumstances, exempt any goods from payment of the whole or any part of the customs-duties chargeable thereon.

21. Subject to such conditions, limitations or restrictions, as it thinks fit to impose, the Board ¹⁹[or any other authority authorised by the Board in writing in this behalf] may, in such general cases as may be prescribed by rules or in particular cases by special order, authorise-(a) the delivery without payment of the customs-duties chargeable thereon of goods which are imported only temporarily with a view to subsequent exportation;(b) the delivery without payment of the whole or any part of the customs-duties chargeable thereon of imported goods of such classes or descriptions, as it may prescribe, intended to be used in the production, manufacture, processing, repair or refitting in Bangladesh of goods of such classes or descriptions as it may prescribe; and(c) the repayment in whole or in part of the customs-duties paid on the importation of any goods of such classes or descriptions as it may prescribe, which have been used in the production, manufacture, processing, repair or refitting in Bangladesh of goods of such classes or descriptions as it may prescribe, provided such repayment shall not be made in respect of the class or description of goods for which drawback can be claimed under section 37.

22. If goods produced or manufactured in and exported from Bangladesh are subsequently imported into Bangladesh, such goods shall be liable to customs-duty and be subject to all the conditions and restrictions, if any, to which goods of the like kind and value not so produced or manufactured are liable on the importation thereof: Provided if such goods have been imported within two years of their exportation ²⁰[***] and have not undergone any processing since their exportation, the appropriate officer not below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Customs may admit the goods- ²¹[(a) where at the time of exportation of such goods, drawback was allowed, on payment of the amount of such drawback; (b) where such goods were exported from any bonded warehouse, without payment of - (i) the duties and taxes chargable on the imported materials, if any, used in the manufacture of such goods ; or (ii) the duties and taxes chargable on the indigenous raw materials, if any, used in the manufacture or such goods; or (iii) the duties and taxes, if any, chargable on such indigenous goods;on payment of customs-duty equal to the aggregate amount of all such duties and taxes calculated at the rates prevailing at the time and place of importation of goods; or] ²²[(c) in any other case, without payment of customs-duty.]

23. All goods, derelict, jetsam, flotsam and wreck, brought or coming into Bangladesh, shall be dealt with as if they were imported into Bangladesh.

24. Goods produced or manufactured in Bangladesh and required as provisions and stores on any conveyance proceeding to any foreign port, airport or station may be exported free of customs-duty, ²³[ and Value Added Tax (মূল্য সংযোজন কর )] in such quantities as the appropriate officer may determine having regard to the size of the conveyance, the number of passengers and crew and the length of the voyage or journey on which the conveyance is about to depart.

²⁵[25. (1) ²⁶[Whenever customs-duty is leviable on any goods by reference to their value, the actual price, that is, the price actually paid or payable, or the nearest ascertainable equivalent of such price, at which such or like goods are ordinarily sold, or offered for sale, for delivery at the time and place of importation or exportation, as the case may be, in course of international trade under fully competitive conditions, where the seller and the buyer have no interest in the business of each other and the price is the sole consideration for sale or offer for sale, shall be the value.] ²⁷[Explanation.- For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression- ²⁸[(a) “the time of importation” means the date on which a bill of entry is delivered under section 79;] and (b) “the time of exportation” means the time when the bill of export is delivered under section 131, or when export of the goods is allowed ²⁹[under that section] without a bill of export or in anticipation of the presentation of a bill of export, the time when the goods is taken to the customs port or customs airport or customs station for the purpose of export; (c) (i) “the place of importation” means the customs port or customs airport or the customs station at which the bill of entry is first submitted; and (ii) “place of exportation” means the customs port or the station at which the bill of export is submitted.] (2) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1), the price referred to in that sub-section in respect of imported goods shall be determined in accordance with the rules made in this behalf. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, fix, for the purpose of levying customs duties, tariff values ³⁰[or minimum values] for any goods imported or exported as chargeable with customs-duty ad valorem: Provided that any imported or exported goods, the declared value of which is higher than its tariff value fixed under this sub-section, shall be chargeable with customs duties on the basis of its declared value. ³¹[(4) The average rate of exchange prevailing during the thirty days preceding the last working day of the third week of the month preceding the month during which the bill of entry or the bill of export is delivered under sections 79 or 131 or electronically transmitted to the Customs computer system shall be the rate of exchange for the computation of the value of any imported or exported goods and such rate shall be fixed by the Board or by such officer as the Board may authorise in this behalf.] (5) For the purpose of this section ³²[* * *]- (a) “rate of exchange” means the rate of exchange determined by the Government for the conversion of Bangladesh currency into foreign currency or foreign currency into Bangladesh currency; (b) “foreign currency” and “Bangladesh currency” have the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 (VII of 1947).] ³³[(6) For the purposes of sub-section (1)- (a) the value of any goods shall include the freight, insurance, commission and all other costs, charges and expenses incidental to the sale and delivery at the place of importation or exportation; and (b) the Board may, by notification in the official Gazette, fix the freight for the transportation of any goods or class of goods by aircraft that are delivered or could have been delivered at a Customs airport to the buyer.]

³⁴[25A. ³⁵[(1) For the purposes of this Act, the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette-

(a) appoint pre-shipment inspection agencies and audit agencies, and

(b) determine the scope and manner of certification, and also the scope and manner of audit, and any matter related to such certification and audit.]

³⁶[(2) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare that the quality, quantity, price, description and customs classification of any goods verified and certified in the prescribed manner by a pre-shipment inspection agency shall be accepted as the basis for assessment, unless otherwise prescribed.]

(3) For the purposes of this section, “price” means value of the goods determined in accordance with sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 25.]

³⁷[³⁸[25B. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, it is optional for the importers to have their importable goods inspected by a pre-shipment inspection agency before or at the time of shipment of those goods on board a vessel, aircraft or other conveyance.]

25C. The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, impose pre-shipment inspection service charge on imported goods required to be inspected by pre-shipment inspection agencies at a rate not exceeding one per cent of the value of such goods and this charge shall be collected as if it were a customs-duty leviable under section 18(1).]

³⁹[26. (1) Where- (a) an officer of Customs has reasons to believe that goods have been unlawfully imported, exported, under valued or overvalued, entered, removed, or otherwise unlawfully dealt with by any person contrary to this Act or that any person attempts to import, export, under or overvalue, enter, remove or otherwise deal with any goods; or (b) goods have been seized under this Act, an officer of Customs not below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner may, by notice in writing, require that person or any person whom the officer suspects to be or to have been the owner, importer or exporter of those goods, or agent thereof, as the case may be, as and when required, to produce and deliver to the officer or to any other specified Customs officer all books of account, invoice books, or other books, records or documents in which any entry or memorandum appears or may be supposed to appear in respect of the purchase, importation, exportation, cost, or value of, or payment for, the goods and any other goods so imported or exported or otherwise dealt with within a period of three years preceding the date of the notice. (2) In addition to the requirements of sub-section (1) of this section, an officer of Customs not below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner may require the owner or importer or exporter of those goods, or agent thereof, as the case may be, as and ⁴⁰[when necessary], to- (a) produce for the inspection of the officer or any specified Customs officer, and allow the officer to make copies of or extracts from, any of the documents, books, or records referred to in sub-section (1), ⁴¹[* * *] ⁴²[(aa) transmit or send, by electronic or other means, the information contained in those documents, books or records, and] (b) answer any question concerning those documents, books, or records.

26A. An officer of Customs not below the rank of Joint Commissioner may, by notice in writing, require any person (including any officer employed in or in connection with any Government department, Corporation, or local authority, or any officer employed in or in connection with any bank ⁴³[ , operator as defined in section 2(19) of বাংলাদেশ টেলিযোগাযোগ নিয়ন্ত্রণ আইন, ২০০১ or any statutory authority], as and when required to-(a) produce for inspection by an officer of Customs any documents or records ⁴⁴[ including any modes of communication using telecommunication or radio apparatus] that the Joint Commissioner considers necessary or relevant to an investigation or audit under this Act;(b) allow the officer of Customs to make copies of or extracts from any such documents or records;(c) appear before the Joint Commissioner of Customs and answer all questions put to him concerning any goods or any transactions relating to those goods that are the subject of any such investigation, or concerning the documents or records that are relevant to any such investigation.

26B. (1) A Customs officer may take possession of and retain any document or record presented in connection with any entry or required to be produced under this Act. (2) Where the Customs officer takes possession of a document or record under sub-section (1) of this section, the said officer shall, at the request of the person otherwise entitled to the document or record, provide that person with a copy of the document certified by him or on his behalf under the seal of the Customs as a true copy. (3) Every copy so certified shall be admissible as evidence in all Courts as if it were the original.

26C. (1) Where an officer of Customs or an authorised person carries out any lawful search, inspection, audit, or examination under this Act, and has reasonable cause to believe that documents coming into his possession during such search, inspection, audit, or examination are evidence of the commission of an offence under this Act, he may remove the documents for the purpose of making copies. (2) The documents or records so removed must, as soon as practicable after copies thereof have been made, be returned to the person otherwise entitled to them. (3) A copy of any such document certified by or on behalf of the officer of Customs under the seal of the Customs shall be admissible in evidence in all Courts as if it were the original.

26D. (1) Where an officer of Customs or an authorised person carries out any lawful search, inspection, audit, or examination under this Act, and has reasonable cause to believe that any document or goods coming into his possession during such search, inspection, audit, or examination are evidence of the commission of an offence under this Act, or are intended to be used for the purpose of committing any offence under this Act, the officer or his authorised person may take possession of and retain the documents or goods, as the case may be. (2) Where an officer of Customs or his authorised person takes possession of a document under sub-section (1) of this section, he shall, at the request of the person otherwise entitled to the document, provide that person with a copy of the document certified by or on behalf of the Customs officer under the seal of the Customs as a true copy. (3) Every copy so certified shall be admissible in evidence in Courts as if it were the original.]

⁴⁵[27. ⁴⁶[(1)] Where, at the time of first examination, of any imported goods, it is shown by the owner in writing to the satisfaction of an officer not below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Customs-(a) that the goods had been damaged or had deteriorated at any time before or during their landing; or(b) that the goods ⁴⁷[* * *] had been damaged, at any time after landing but before such examination, by accident and not due to any wilful act, negligence or default of the importer or his agents;the value of such goods shall, on a written application made by the owner of the goods, be appraised by an appropriate officer of Customs, and the owner shall be allowed abatement of duty in proportion to the diminution in value of the goods as so appraised. (2) Where it is shown, in writing by the owner of any imported goods to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Customs that the goods have been ⁴⁸[damaged, deteriorated, lost or destroyed] by an accident or force majeure, after importation but before clearance thereof for home consumption, the Commissioner of Customs may, on an application made by the owner, furnishing all particulars necessary to establish the fact of such ⁴⁹[damage, deterioration, loss or destruction], remit or repay any duty chargeable or paid on such goods. Explanation.- For the purpose of this sub-section, “force majeure” means an act of God.] ⁵⁰[(3) Where it is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Customs that any warehoused goods had been damaged at any time before clearance for home-consumption by an accident or force majeure, the Commissioner of Customs may, on an application from the owner of the goods furnishing all particulars necessary to establish the fact of such damage, allow the value of such goods to be appraised by an appropriate officer of Customs and the owner of the goods shall be allowed abatement of duty in proportion to the diminution in value of the goods as so appraised.]

28. When by any law for the time being in force a duty lower than that prescribed by ⁵¹[this Act], is imposed on denatured spirit, any such spirit imported into Bangladesh may, subject to rules, be tested and if necessary adequately denatured by officers of customs, at the expense of the person importing the same, before the customs-duty is charged thereon.

29. Except as provided in section 88, no amendment of a bill of entry or bill of export relating to goods assessed for duty on the declared value, quantity or description thereof shall be allowed after such goods have been removed from the customs-area.

⁵³[30. The rate of duty ⁵⁴[value and exchange rate applicable to any imported goods, shall be the rate of duty, value and exchange rate] in force,- (a) in the case of goods cleared for home consumption under section 79, on the date a bill of entry is presented under that section and a bill of entry number is allocated thereto; (b) in the case of goods cleared from a warehouse for home consumption under section 104, on the date ⁵⁵[a bill of entry was presented under section 79 and the bill of entry number was allocated thereto]; and (c) in the case of any other goods, on the date of payment of duty: Provided that if a bill of entry is presented in anticipation of arrival of a conveyance by which the goods are imported, the relevant date for the purpose of this section shall be the date on which the manifest of the conveyance is delivered after its arrival.]

⁵⁶[30A. Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force or any decision of any Court, for the purposes of section 30, the value and the rate of duty applicable to any goods shall respectively include the value as determined under section 25 and any amount of duty imposed under section 18, 18A or 18B and the amount of duty that may have become payable in consequence of the withdrawal of the whole or any part of the exemption or concession from duty whether before or after the conclusion of a contract or agreement for the sale of such goods or opening of a letter of credit in respect thereof.]

⁵⁷[31. The rate of duty applicable to, and the rate of exchange for computation of the value of, any goods exported shall be the rate of duty or, as the case may be, the rate of exchange prevailing on the date of the delivery of the bill of export under section 131: Provided that where the export of any goods is permitted without a bill of export or in anticipation of the delivery of such a bill, the rate of duty applicable to, and the rate of exchange for the computation of the value of, such goods shall be the rate of duty or, as the case may be, the rate of exchange applicable on the date on which loading of the goods on the outgoing conveyance commences.]

32. (1) If any person, in connection with any matter of customs,-(a) makes or signs or causes to be made or signed, or delivers or causes to be delivered to an officer of Customs any declaration, notice, certificate or other document whatsoever, or(b) makes any statement in answer to any question put to him by an officer of Customs which he is required by or under this Act to answer, ⁵⁸[or] ⁵⁹[(c) transmits any statement, document, information or record through electronic device or produces soft copy thereof,]and such document or statement is untrue in any material particular, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section. (2) Where, by reason of any such document or statement as aforesaid or by reason of some collusion, any duty or charge has not been levied or has been short-levied or has been erroneously refunded, the person liable to pay any amount on that account shall be served with a notice ⁶⁰[***] requiring him to show cause why he should not pay the amount specified in the notice. (3) Where, by reason of any inadvertence, error or misconstruction, any duty or charge ⁶¹[amounting to not less than one thousand Taka] has not been levied or has been short-levied or has been erroneously refunded, the person liable to pay any amount on that account shall be served with a notice within ⁶²[five years] of the relevant date requiring him to show cause why he should not pay the amount specified in the notice. (4) The appropriate officer, after considering the representation, if any, of such person as is referred to in sub-section (2) of sub-section (3) shall determine the amount of duty payable by him which shall in no case exceed the amount specified in the notice, and such person shall pay the amount so determined ⁶³[: Provided that where the amount so determined is less than one thousand Taka, the person concerned shall not be required to make the payment.] (5) For the purposes of this section, the expression “relevant date” means-(a) in any case where duty is not levied, the date on which an order for the clearance of goods is made;(b) in a case where duty is provisionally assessed under section 81, the date of adjustment of duty after its final assessment;(c) in a case where duty has been erroneously refunded, the date of its refund;(d) in any other case, the date of payment of duty or charge.

33. (1) No refund of any customs-duties or charges claimed to have been paid or over-paid through inadvertence, ⁶⁵[error, misconstruction or in any other way] shall be allowed, unless such claim is made within ⁶⁶[six months] of the date of payment ⁶⁷[: Provided that where the amount so claimed is less than one thousand Taka, refund shall not be allowed.] (2) In the case of provisional payments made under section 8l, the said period of ⁶⁸[six months] shall be reckoned from the date of the adjustment of duty after its final assessment.

34. An officer of Customs, not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Customs may, in the case of any mercantile firm or public body, if he so thinks fit, instead of requiring payment of customs-duties or charges as and when they become due, keep with such firm or body an account-current of such duties and charges, which account shall be settled at intervals of not exceeding one month, and such firm or body shall make a deposit or furnish a security sufficient in the opinion of that officer to cover the amount which may at any time be payable by it in respect of such duties or charges.