Why 'গাড়ি' Trended in India: Chittagong Port Seizure of BMW and Half-Cut Trucks Explained

Why the Bengali word ‘গাড়ি’ surged in Indian searches

On 8 October 2026, Google Trends data for India showed the Bengali term “গাড়ি” (meaning “car”) trending with roughly 200 searches and 75% growth over the past 24 hours. The likely trigger was news from Chittagong Port in Bangladesh, where customs officials seized a shipment declared as used car parts that actually contained whole and partial vehicles. Because the word is shared across Bengali-speaking communities, the Bangladesh story appears to have driven lookups in India — though Google Trends confirms search interest only, not the reason behind it.

What customs found at Chittagong Port

According to a Star News report dated 7 October 2026 (source), the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate recovered from the container:

• a two-seater BMW racing car in CKD (completely knocked down) condition, preliminarily identified as an S Drive 23i with an engine of about 2,500 cc;
• the front half of a 2016-model BMW 740i with an engine of about 3,000 cc;
• five half-cut Isuzu trucks, with various car parts packed inside their cabins.

The shipment was imported on 6 October 2026 by M/S Ayaz Auto International, declared as used differential assemblies, power steering assemblies and other used car parts. The exporter was listed as the UAE-based ‘Arab Japan Used Cars and Spare Parts Company’, and Amin (C&F) (Pvt) Ltd acted as the clearing and forwarding agent.

How the ‘half-cut’ smuggling tactic works

The method involves cutting vehicles into sections so each piece can be falsely declared as a spare part, attracting far lower duty than a complete car. The parts can then be reassembled locally. A separate report (source) confirmed that customs seized a half-cut BMW along with pickup vans at the port after a raid based on a tip-off, and said false information had been given specifically to evade duty.

What investigators are checking

Customs officials said the exact model year, chassis and VIN of the racing car will be confirmed through technical examination — the S Drive 23i identification is only preliminary. A key question is where the missing rear half of the BMW 740i is: investigators are examining whether it arrived in a separate consignment for later reassembly. Chassis numbers, engine details and actual values are being verified, and action will follow under Bangladesh’s Customs Act, 2023 once the checks are complete. Surveillance at Chittagong Port has been tightened against similar attempts.