Chattogram:Nine containers of expired and unusable hazardous chemicals have been removed from Chattogram Port for disposal after two decades of uncertainty.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the containers left Yard 8-B of the port on Saturday afternoon in a special convoy under security escort, heading to Wata Chemicals in Rupganj, Narayanganj. There, the chemicals will be destroyed in an environmentally friendly manner.
Md. Russell Ahmed, assistant commissioner of Customs House, Chattogram, stated that the operation aims to enhance port security and alleviate container congestion. The containers contain a total of 150.89 tonnes of hazardous chemicals, including 25.55 tonnes of sulfuric acid, 500 kg of nitric acid, 92.54 tonnes of methanol, and 32.30 tonnes of thinner, which have been stored at the port since 2003.
The removal follows a recommendation from the Bangladesh National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention (BNACWC) and is managed by the Customs House Disposal Committee. The convoy, accompanied by police escort and members of the Customs Disposal Committee, ensures the chemicals are destroyed through a regulated, eco-friendly process at Wata Chemicals Limited in the Murapara area of Rupganj upazila.
Several agencies are supporting the operation, including the BNACWC, Chattogram Port Authority, Chittagong Metropolitan Police, District Administration, Fire Service and Civil Defence, Border Guard Bangladesh, BCSIR, Department of Explosives, Department of Environment, and Ansar Battalion.