Former MPs' costly car craze: Barrister Suman on top, Shakib second

The import cost of the vehicle is less that Tk 15 million (Tk 1.5 crore), but customs duty is around Tk 100 million (Tk 10 crore). Then there are miscellaneous expenses and profit margin of the importers. So in the Bangladesh market the car costs about Tk 120 million (Tk 12 crore). However, if the members of parliament imported these cars with their duty-free facilities, they get a concession of around Tk 100 million (Tk 10 crore). In short, they can by a Tk 120 million (Tk 12 crore) car for Tk 15 million (Tk 1.5 crore).

Former member of parliament Syed Sayedul Haque, popularly known as Barrister Suman, imported a Japanese Toyota Land Cruiser FJA-300W duty free. He was elected independent member of parliament for the first time in the 7 January election.

After the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election, 51 MPs opened LCs and took initiative to import vehicles duty free. Ten of the cars have arrived. Six of them managed to release their cars. The government was toppled on 5 August in the student-people's uprising before the other four vehicles could be released. So the vehicles of four of the parliamentarians remain held up in the Customs.

According to Customs' sources, in the three consecutive terms of the Awami League government, from 2009 to 2023, members of parliament imported 576 duty-free cars. The import costs (according to assessment value) of these vehicles is Tk 4.28 billion (Tk 428 crore). If general people imported these vehicles, they would have to pay over Tk 35 billion (Tk 3500 crore ) in customs duty. This is how much concessions in customs duty the members of parliament received.

Members of parliament, general speaking, import costly luxury vehicles under their duty free facilities. This time the market values of the vehicles bought by six parliamentarians ranged from Tk 90 million (Tk 9 crore) to Tk 120 million (Tk 12 crore).

It was from the time of Ershad's government that the members of parliament were given these duty-free facilities. On 24 May 1988 a circular to this end was issued. Later BNP came to power and then Awami League. They changed various policies and laws of Ershad's government. But all the parliaments held on to the duty-free facilities for the import of vehicles. The parliamentarians can now import one vehicle every five years.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, executive director of the anti-corruption organisation Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Iftekharuzzaman, said providing members of parliament with the facility to import vehicles free of duty is completely unethical and discriminatory. They have misused their political powers to avail this perk. He said, "The Awami League government fell in the face of the mass uprising led by the movement of the Students against Discrimination. The spirit of this movement is that there will be no discrimination anywhere. We hope the reforms by the interim government including scrapping these facilities to import cars free of duty as well as other such unwarranted privileges.

Syed Sayedul Haque, elected MP in the 12th parliamentary polls from Habiganj-4, bought the costliest vehicle this time. According to the Customs' taxation records, The import cost of the vehicle was shown to bb USD 111,000 of Tk 12.6 billion (Tk 1 crore 26 lakh). The customs duty was determined at Tk 12.8 million (Tk 1 crore 28 lakh). The duty on such vehicles is 826.60 per cent. So the customs duty on the vehicles comes to over Tk 100 million (Tk 10 crore).

The car was imported from Japan's Cross Continent Corporation. It is a 2024 model of 3345cc.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over mobile phone, former member of parliament Syed Sayedul Haque said, "Even though there are duty-free facilities, I paid Tk 600,000 in advance income tax (AIT). The vehicle was released on 20 June during the term of the 12th parliament. However, it has not been registered as yet because after selling my previous vehicle, transfer process is still underway. I will just keep one car."

The second costliest vehicle was brought in by the former member of parliament of Magura-1, cricketer Shakib Al Hasan. His car was released on 30 July. He bought the car from Singapore's Toyota Tsusho Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. His vehicle is a Toyota LC Station Wagon GR-S with a 3346cc engine.
The car's import value was shown as 11.4 million Japanese yen (1 crore 14 lakh Japanese yen) or Tk 10.6 million (Tk 1 crore 6 lakh).

The duty on this vehicle is 826.60 per cent too. The customs duty on the car is about Tk 10.8 million (Tk 1 crore 8 lakh). Accordingly the customs duty comes to Tk 89.2 million (Tk 8 crore 92 lakh). As a member of parliament, Shakib Al Hasan received duty-free privilege. He only had to may Tk 539,000 in advance income tax.

Former member of parliament of Dhaka-10, movie star Ferdous Ahmed imported a vehicle of market value Tk 90 million (Tk 9 crore). He got a tax concession of Tk 80 million (Tk 8 crore).

Members of parliament Faizur Rahman of Brahmanbaria-5, Abdul Kalam of Natore-1 and Golam Faruk of Lakkhipur-3 also imported cars of Tk 90 million (Tk 9 crore) market value with a duty cut of Tk 80 million (Tk 8 crore).

In all, the former parliament members go Tk 515 million (Tk 51.5 crore) taka duty concessions for these six released vehicles.

According to Customs' sources, of the four cars that have been held up at the Chittagong Port after import, taxation of two vehicles has been completed. These vehicles have been brought in by former parliament member Mujibur Rahman Majnu of Bogura-5 and former parliamentarian Jannat Ara Henry of Sirajganj-2. But they have not been able to get their vehicles released. Also, before the taxation process could be completed for the vehicles of Mymensingh-7 parliamentarian ABM Anisuzzaman and Tangail-8 parliamentarian Anupam Shahjahan, the 12th parliament was dissolved and so these two cars are held up.

Outside of these 10 cars, it is still not confirmed is 41 more vehicles have been imported. No documents in this regard have been submitted to the Customs. The LCs of these cars were made from March to 30 July, but the customs officials feel that some cars have still not been imported. And some have been imported, but the papers have not been submitted as yet.
Chattogram customs commissioner Mohammad Faizur Rahman told Prothom Alo, the vehicles that underwent taxation during the term of the 12th national parliament, have been released. The cars being imported after the 12th parliament was dissolved, cannot be released free of duty. However, there are four cars that were imported during the tenure of the 12th parliament, but have not been released as yet and are held up. A letter has been sent to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for a decision in this regard.

The former members of parliament who opened LCs include deputy speaker of the 12th national parliament Md Shamsul Hoque Tuku, former disaster management minister Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat, parliament member who left BNP to join Awami League before the last election Muhammad Shahjahan Omar and former members of parliament Sajjadul Hasan, Abul Kalam Azad, SAK Ekramuzzaman, Choyon Islam AKM Rezaul KRIM Tansen, etc.

LCs were opened for the import of cars by eight former members of parliament of the reserved seats for women. They are Tarana Halim, Sanjida Khanam, Nasima Zaman Boby, Nadia Binte Amin, Begum Mafuz Sultana, Khaleda Bahar Beauty, Runu Reza and Shahida Tarek Dipti.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, former president of the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BAVIDA), Abdul Huq, said that the vehicles that are imported by the members of parliament are not generally imported commercially because of their extremely high prices. He said that some members of parliament sell their vehicle import permits for Tk 10 million (Tk 1 crore) to Tk 15 million (Tk 1.5 crore). These are then sold and bought in the market. But the parliament members can't sell transfer cars before 5 years. The cars are bought and sold under such a contract.

Most of the members of parliament take the opportunity to import duty-free cars. BNP came to power in the 5th parliament election (1991-96). In that parliament, 301 members of parliament imported duty-free cars. Then Awami League came to power in 1996. In that term, 176 parliament members imported cars with duty free privilege. During the 2001-06 eighth parliament under BNP, 311 such cars were imported by the parliamentarians. Awami League formed government again in 2009 and in that 9th parliament, 315 members brought in duty-free vehicles.

There are no official records of how many parliament members imported duty free cars during the 10th (2014-18) and 11th (2019-23) parliaments. But Customs sources say from 2009 till 2023, at least 576 duty-free cars were imported. There may be more, however.

One of the conditionalities put forward by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its USD 4.7 billion (USD 470 crore) loan to Bangladesh, was for the various tax concessions and tax holidays to be revoked. The matter of duty-free cars for parliament members was also raised. Then in the 2024-25 fiscal budget, a proposal was made to amend the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Allowance) Order, 1973 in order to impose duty in cars imported by parliament members. However, the matter was not taken forward. The budget came into effect in July, and the duty-free vehicle facilities remained in place.

In the analysis of affidavits carried out by Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), it was seen that 90 per cent of the parliament members of the 12th parliament were more than millionaires and 67 per cent were businesspersons. While these wealthy members of parliament are being given tax cuts in billions to import vehicles, high taxes are being imposed on commodities like sugar and essential services like mobile phones.
Distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Mustafizur Rahman, speaking to Prothom Alo, said there are many instances of parliament members violating the conditions of their import facilities and transferring these cars and resorting to other irregularities. Luxury cars should be left out of such facilities. If import facilities are to be given, then duty must be imported to some extent at least.