Berthing of vessels resume at Chittagong Port

Chittagong: Berthing of ships at the Chittagong Port jetties resumed from Saturday evening as agitating shipping agents postponed their programme after talks with the port authority. An 11-member committee has been formed to make recommendations in three months after reviewing the gantry cranes’ efficiency and handling productivity.

For the interim period, the port authority will charge 25 per cent of the extra fees fixed for gantry crane services, port officials and leaders of shipping agents.

The decisions were taken at a two-hour long meeting between the Chittagong Port Authority and the Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association in presence of other port users’ groups on Saturday.

The standoff was created as shipping agents suspended berthing of the vessels at port jetties from Friday demanding withdrawal of extra charges for use of newly-commissioned gantry cranes.

The suspension of berthing caused a logjam of vessels at the outer anchorage of the country’s main seaport, raising concerns among local industries and traders.

The committee will be represented by the Port Authority, Shipping Agents Association, Chittagong Chamber, Shippers Council and Master Stevedores Association.

The BSAA Vice Chairman, Ahsanul Huq Chowdhury said that the stalemate ended after Saturday’s fruitful talks.

‘We agreed to the decisions taken in the meeting and resumed the berthing of ships waiting at the outer anchorage,’ he said.

Earlier, the Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain offered a 50 per cent cut in gantry crane charge, but the shipping agents rejected it, demanding full waiver of the extra charge for at least six months.