Chattogram, Sept 24 (V7N) – A large-scale customs scandal has been uncovered at Chattogram Custom House, revealing that Sharp and General brand air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines—long marketed in Bangladesh as “Japanese products”—were actually imported from China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan. Investigations show that Esquire Group, through Esquire Electronics Limited and Esquire Heavy Industries Limited, imported these products under false declarations and then manipulated auctions to regain control of seized shipments at nominal prices.
 
In December 2024, customs officials intercepted a consignment of 287 Sharp refrigerators from China. Each unit was valued at only Tk 27,000 by customs, while the same model retailed in the local market at nearly Tk 64,000. Once confiscated, the products were later auctioned, and sources allege that Esquire regained control of the items through fake companies and individuals acting on their behalf, effectively buying them back at below-market rates.
 
Between November 2024 and April 2025, at least nine major consignments of refrigerators, air conditioners, electronic components, and washing machines were seized. Customs sources confirm that in each case, Esquire-linked entities manipulated auctions by creating dummy bidders. For example, in one December 2024 consignment, 139 refrigerators of Chinese origin were valued at Tk 33.63 lakh, with each unit priced at only Tk 24,000. Similarly, another shipment of 629 Sharp refrigerators was auctioned at an average of Tk 32,000 per unit, far below the retail price.
 
In November 2024, customs also intercepted 11 containers imported by Esquire Heavy Industries Limited. The consignment included 866 refrigerators and 26,853 kilograms of spare parts, labeled as originating from Thailand. Valued at Tk 1.36 crore, the goods were again allegedly reacquired by Esquire through manipulated bidding.
 
The pattern extended into 2025. On April 29, customs examined another Esquire shipment containing 1,200 air conditioners and matching casings, with an official value of Tk 1.85 crore. Again, the winning bidder was an Esquire-linked entity, with dummy participants present. Similar fraud was found in consignments of indoor units, casings, and spare parts. In total, thousands of ACs, refrigerators, and washing machines were obtained in this manner.
 
In one of the most striking cases, 1,089 Sharp washing machines from Indonesia were seized in December 2024. Customs valued each at around Tk 29,500, although the retail price in Bangladesh ranges between Tk 50,000 and Tk 80,000. The consignment was again won in auction by Esquire-controlled participants.
 
Multiple customs sources confirmed that Esquire concealed the true countries of origin, passing off Chinese and Southeast Asian-made goods as Japanese products. Officials also raised concerns that duplicate or reconditioned versions might have entered the market, later rebranded in Esquire’s factories with Japanese stickers. This deception not only misled Bangladeshi consumers but also deprived the government of significant customs revenue.
 
Calls are growing for a thorough government investigation into the scandal. Industry observers warn that unless decisive action is taken, consumer trust in imported electronic goods could be severely damaged while large-scale revenue leakage continues unchecked.
 
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