The Chittagong Custom House, which stands as the largest revenue-collecting entity in the country, is set to relocate its official operations to the World Trade Center (WTC) in Agrabad starting July 1. This move serves as a temporary arrangement until a new building, funded by the World Bank, is constructed for the Custom House. To facilitate this transition, the institution has signed an agreement with the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) to lease 156,600 square feet of office space and 8,000 square feet of garage space within the WTC.
The formal agreement was signed on Tuesday, May 5, in the conference hall of the World Trade Center. Md. Motahar Hossain, the Chamber Administrator and Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) of Chittagong, along with Mohammad Shafi Uddin, the Commissioner of Chittagong Custom House, executed the contract.
The signing ceremony was attended by several high-ranking officials and prominent figures, including former Chamber presidents Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury and Engineer Ali Ahmed, as well as representatives from the C&F Association and the Customs, Excise, and VAT Commissionerate.
The World Trade Center in Chittagong is the first and only facility of its kind in the country and is a member of the New York-based World Trade Centers Association. The 24-story, international-standard building spans approximately 700,000 square feet and features modern architectural amenities such as 14 lifts, a helipad, and three basements capable of parking 250 cars. Furthermore, the facility is equipped with central air conditioning, a 2.4 MW electrical substation, heavy-duty backup generators, and an integrated building management system to ensure high-level safety and efficiency.
