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Indefinite strike threatens to paralyse Ctg port
Jasim Uddin Haroon
10/14/2005
An indefinite work abstention programme enforced by all the three water transport organisations begins
today (Friday) at the Chittagong port to press home their demand for releasing 24 lighterage vessels, the
Port Authority sources confirmed.
The strike, if enforced, will deal a severe blow to the country's export-import trade and have a paralytic
effect on the activities at the Chittagong port, they feared.
MA Latif, Convener of Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC) said Thursday evening that they had
undertaken adequate preparations for making the work abstention programme a success simply to realise
their demand.
"We are forced to go along with the work abstention programme, inflicting huge losses on ourselves, as the
authorities concerned failed to meet out logical demand", he added.
Operation of more than 2000 lighterage and cargo vessels across the country will come to a total standstill
on account of the work abstention. "Only direct port-linked lighterage vessels numbering more than 200
will not function due to this programme", a senior leader of the WTCC told the FE.
The work abstention will affect the country's total economy as offloading of the imported items will be
delayed and transportation of goods and industrial raw materials from the Chittagong port to other places of
the country will be affected directly, sources added.
A high port official told the FE that the work abstention programme would affect the productivity of the
Chittagong port significantly as the lighterage and cargo vessels involved in loading and unloading of goods
from mother vessels from the outer anchorage channels would cease to function.
He said the Chittagong Customs House (CCH) sent a letter to the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) three
days back to unload the huge amount of wheat in the port to resolve the pending issue.
"We denied it on the grounds of space constraints and environmental concerns and advised the CCH to
dump the rotten wheat in Mongla or other warehouses of the Food Department under the food ministry," a
highly placed source told the FE.
Director of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Amirul Hoque said that they
undertook such a rigid decision, as there was no positive response from the government side.
"We expressed our concern over the issue through a meeting of all the stakeholders last October 11 and
urged the department concerned to take immediate actions", he added.
Some traders imported 26,500 tonnes of wheat more than eight months back.
Sources said that some 30 lighterage vessels loaded it from the mother vessels and six lighterage vessels
arrived in Chittagong port timely.
The CCH raised objections about the quality of the wheat and barred it from berthing the remaining vessels
at the Chittagong port.
Meanwhile, the importers filed a lawsuit in the higher court and the court ordered the CCH to release the
wheat within seven days. But the CCH appealed against the verdict in the Supreme Court and the wheat-
laden vessels remained stranded at the outer anchorage for the last eight months.
"The cargo worth of Tk 1.25 billion are being damaged as the wheat started to rotten there", Shafik Ahmed,
President of the Chittagong Port Lighterage Contractors Association, said.
Acting President of the CCCI and a front-ranking leader of the WTCC MA Latif said that Minister for
Livestock and Fisheries Abdullah Al Noman expressed his willingness to discuss the issue on Wednesday,
but the minister did not contact until 9 pm Thursday.
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