Lighterage vessel workers have called for an indefinite strike, halting the delivery and transportation of goods at the Chattogram port’s outer anchorage.
Shipping workers at all levels launched the protest to press home a list of five demands at 6 pm on Friday. The waterway transportation of goods across the country from larger vessels anchored at the outer anchorage was suspended due to the protest, according to bdnews24.com.
Lighterage vessels are generally used to transport imported goods across the country from larger ships.
The demands of the workers include the cancellation of the lease for Charpara terminal used by the lighter vessel workers, suspension of Chittagong Port Authority’s chairman, removal of the local police chief and the construction of a safe dock for barges by dredging Sangu River’s mouth.
The leaders of the lighterage workers’ union said the protesters used to anchor vessels at the Charpara terminal near Patenga Sea Beach instead of using the Karnaphuli River. But the port authorities leased the terminal out without discussing the matter with workers.
Jasim Uddin, the acting general secretary of the lighterage workers’ union, said he spoke to the port authorities but they couldn’t make any decision on the matter.
“The lease-holders clashed with workers several times at the terminal. The workers started to use the Chinese Ghat near Parki in protest against the attack, but the port authorities evicted that terminal as well, forcing the workers to go on strike.”
The protests also halted the delivery of goods at 16 terminals on the Karnaphuli River. The port authorities called a meeting with lighterage vessel workers to solve the issue later on Friday.