Box movement hit at Chtg Port as FO strike continues

Chittagong: Thousands of containers with import and export cargoes piled up at the ports of Chittagong, Singapore, Colombo and Kellang as there were little signs of an immediate end to the stand-off between the striking feeder operators (FO) and the authorities here, shipping and trade sources said.

A section of foreign operators suspended feeder service to and from Bangladesh on Saturday causing an abrupt halt in transportation of import-export cargoes.

International shipping companies belonging to Singapore-based Chittagong Feeder Trade Committee went on the strike refusing to carry cargoes to and from Chittagong port following a row with Bangladeshi garment traders over levying of surcharge on containers and subsequent court battle, they added.

But a Bangladeshi private shipping company—HRC—which operates 10 feeder vessels and the state-owned Bangladesh Shipping Corporation with 4 ships, have continued their operation, port and shipping officials said.

Local agents of striking feeder operators avoided a meeting with the port and shipping minister and leaders of the BGMEA held at the ministry of commerce on Sunday. The rigid stance of feeder operators caused concern in the business community, meeting sources said.

The President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, said, ‘we have become worried because of the stalemate caused by the suspension of transportation of import and export cargoes.’

‘It will badly affect our trade activities,’ he said adding: ‘we apprehend a fresh congestion at Chittagong port if the crisis drags on.’

‘Steps have to be taken immediately to break the deadlock through negotiation across the table,’ he observed.

Local representative of the CFTC, Shahed Chowdhury, said that local agents did not attend the meeting at the commerce ministry as they could not obtain permission from their ‘principals’ based in Singapore where offices remained closed on Sunday.

‘Without consent of our principals how can we attend a meeting relating to the crisis,’ he said adding that a five-member team of the CFTC was expected to arrive in Chittagong soon to hold talks with the authorities concerned in Bangladesh to find out a solution. He said that about 5,000 containers of import cargo remained stuck at the ports of Singapore, Colombo and Kellang due to the stand-off.

‘If the impasse continues many more containers would pile up at the ports in the next few days,’ he feared. Officials at the Chittagong port said that they had received a letter informing them about the visit of the CFTC team on Tuesday.

Deputy traffic manager of the Chittagong port, Yar Ahmed said that 1,260 containers with export cargoes got stuck here at port yards due to the crisis.

‘Many more export containers will reach the port for shipment in the days to come. The crisis in shipment of export cargoes from Chittagong port will deepen if the strike by foreign feeder operators does not end immediately,’ he said.