Chattogram Customs Relocation to Agrabad Begins in Phases on 1 November

Summary

Chattogram Customs House will begin moving to temporary premises at Agrabad’s World Trade Centre on 1 November 2026. Seven assessment groups are included in the initial phase, with full operations expected by early December. The relocation will accommodate the customs authority while a new permanent building is developed.

Assessment teams lead the move

The Chattogram Customs relocation will proceed in stages, with assessment section 8-C scheduled to begin working from the World Trade Centre on Sunday, 1 November. The first phase also covers section 8-D and sub-teams 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

Assistant Commissioner and customs spokesperson Sharif Al Amin said the Public Works Department was preparing the premises, with the remaining office space expected to be handed over by the end of November. Authorities are targeting the first week of December for full operations from the temporary location.

The Chattogram Customs Agents Association informed its members of the arrangements through a notice dated 28 October.

Lease agreement preceded the operational shift

The temporary accommodation follows a lease agreement signed on 5 May between the customs authority and the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which owns the World Trade Centre.

The agreement provides for 156,600 square feet of office accommodation and another 8,000 square feet of garage space. The premises will be used while the proposed World Bank-funded customs building is completed.

At the time of the lease announcement, officials had envisaged operations beginning at the centre on 1 July. The latest timetable places the phased operational move in November, followed by the targeted completion in December.

Preparations cover records, equipment and laboratory facilities

Government procurement documents show that preparations extend beyond transferring desks and staff.

A relocation tender published in July covered the packing, transportation, unloading, installation and reinstallation of office equipment, furniture, files, records and laboratory facilities. It identified both the World Trade Centre and the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution premises in Agrabad as destinations for the transfer.

Separate Public Works Department tenders covered office partitions, electrical installations, sanitary facilities, ceilings and lighting. One package for works on the first and fourth floors carried a tentative completion date of 29 November 2026, broadly aligning with the announced end-November handover target.

These preparations underline the operational complexity of relocating a customs administration. Assessment work depends on accessible records, functioning equipment and supporting facilities, making the sequencing of transfers important to service continuity.

Move follows round-the-clock clearance initiative

The relocation comes after a separate decision to extend customs clearance services throughout the week.

In September, Chattogram Customs House announced round-the-clock clearance arrangements, including Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays. The stated objective was to accelerate the release of imported goods and maintain supply-chain continuity.

The notification sought to ensure that customs clearance and cargo-release activities continued during holidays as they did on ordinary working days.

For businesses, maintaining access to assessment services during the office transition will be important alongside those extended operating arrangements. The staged approach places particular importance on clear communication about which teams are working from each location.

Clearance delays provide the wider context

The move also coincides with continuing concern over cargo-release times at Chattogram.

An April 2026 National Board of Revenue Time Release Study found that containerised imports took an average of 13.2 days to clear, compared with 11.3 days in 2022. The study examined nearly 3,200 bills of entry.

Although the average period before declaration submission fell from 8.4 to 7.4 days, the subsequent stages collectively increased from 2.9 to 5.8 days. These included assessment, duty payment, exit-note formalities and physical delivery. The findings covered containerised imports and excluded bulk cargo discharged at the outer anchorage.

The findings highlight the importance of coordination across customs, banks, shipping agents and port services. An office relocation changes where administrative work takes place; improvements in overall release times will also depend on how those linked processes function.

For importers and clearing agents, the immediate priority is therefore practical: tracking the assessment teams’ transfer dates and maintaining timely access to the officials and documents needed to progress consignments.

FAQs

Where is Chattogram Customs House moving?

To temporary premises at the World Trade Centre in Agrabad.

When will the relocation begin?

The phased operational move begins on 1 November 2026.

When is the full move expected?

Authorities are targeting the first week of December, following the anticipated end-November handover.

Why is temporary accommodation required?

The customs authority will use the premises while its new permanent building is developed.