The test of 13,000 liquids and solid chemicals can now be completed in just 30 seconds, following an upgrade in the technology installed in the country's largest land port at Benapole Customs House.
Benapole Customs Commissioner Belal Hossain Chowdhury inaugurated the US-made Ramon Spectrometer Machine on Sunday night at the Benapole Customs Auditorium.
The machine is the invention of Indian scientist Shri Chandrasekhar Rama, and particularly useful in detecting contraband drugs and explosive items. It also gives information regarding the genetic name and structure of the items scanned by it.
Customs Commissioner Belal Hossain Chowdhury said the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has given free three Raman spectrometer machines to the World Customs Organization. The National Board of Revenue has allocated three machines for Benapole, Chittagong and Dhaka Custom House.
It will be installed gradually in other customs houses and stations. The complete test of 13,000 liquid and solid imported chemicals will take 30 seconds only. By cutting down the full 15-20 days to get a test report from Dhaka, which stood as the sole alternative only other option in Dhaka, this is a potential game-changer.
Most importantly, the import of banned and harmful chemicals drugs, explosives will be controlled, or rather deterred, due to the presence of the scanner. Honest businessmen get spared any harassment, the commissioner added, UNB reported.
Port Director Aminul Islam, Additional Commissioner of Benapole Customs Zakir Hossain, Joint Commissioner Shahidul Islam and Joint Commissioner Shakila Parvin, Former President of Customs C & F Agents Association Shamsur Rahman, Vice President Khairuzzaman Modhu, joint secretary general of the Importers Exporters' Association Mohsin Milon, and Customs Affairs Editor Nasir Uddin all spoke at the inaugurated programme.
