The Ministry of Shipping (MoS) on Wednesday asked the Ctg port stakeholders to resolve the ongoing crisis relating to queued export cargoes in Chattogram through coordination.
The MoS on the day organised a virtual meeting with all key stakeholders of Chattogram port. MoS secretary Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury presided over the virtual meeting.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) chairman Rear Admiral Md Shajahan, BGMEA president Faruque Hassan, 1st vice president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Mohammed Hatem, president of Bangladesh Freight Forwarders' Association (BAFFA) Kabir Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association Syed Arif, president of Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) Nurul Qayyum Khan attended, among others, the meeting.
The meeting was organised in the wake of a large queue of covered vans carrying export cargoes waiting at the gates of off-docks in Chattogram.
The depots which stuff the export goods into the containers are facing a shortage of empty containers. The shortage is believed to have emanated from poor delivery of imported goods during the ongoing strict lockdown.
There are18 private depots in Chattogram and they all handle the exports and imports.
MoS secretary Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury said that all stakeholders should work together to overcome the crisis.
He said he would take necessary steps after analysing the discussion.
BGMEA president Faruque Hassan said that the government should take action immediately to overcome the situation, otherwise the clothing export would suffer.
BICDA president Nurul Qayyum Khan said that they would have nothing to do if they did not get a programme relating to the movement of containers from the freight forwarders.
He however said they were trying to resolve the crisis by deploying more work forces during this lockdown.
BAFFA president Kabir Ahmed said that shipping lines raised freight rates recently hurting their business.
Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association chairman Syed Arif underscored the need for increasing the capacity as both exports and imports were on the rise.
The MoS secretary told the journalists after the meeting that a task force would be formed in this connection.
He further said: "There is no vessel and container crisis in Ctg port and the port remained open round the clock amid the lockdown".
jasimharoon@yahoo.com