Written by The Banking Post
Chattogram Port has suspended the unloading of a scrap iron container from Brazil after its radiation detection system flagged the presence of radioactive material.
The alarm was triggered by the Megaport Initiative Radiation Detection System, an American-funded scanner installed at the port to detect radioactivity in imported containers.
Customs officials said the container was part of a five-container shipment imported by Al Aqsa Steel Ltd, a Dhaka-based iron manufacturer. The cargo was loaded in Manaus, Brazil, and made stops in Panama, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka before arriving at Chattogram Port on August 3 aboard the MV Mount Cameron.
Following the alert, Chattogram Customs placed the container in a secure location and requested the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) to conduct a detailed examination to determine the radioactivity level.
“The container will remain detained until BAEC experts complete their inspection,” said Md Omar Faruk, Secretary of Chattogram Port Authority.
Joint Commissioner of Chattogram Customs Mohammad Marufur Rahman confirmed that the shipment’s delivery has been suspended pending the BAEC’s findings.
