More than 15 organisations of transport owners and workers demonstrated in the port area of Chittagong on Monday protesting ‘extortion’.
They are refusing to move containers from privately-operated depots, halting freight movement at the 18 depots.
Organising Secretary of local Truck-Covered Van Owners’ Association Safiur Rahman Tipu said the vehicles have been charged Tk 150 while entering the depots since March 1 .
"Depot workers also charge Tk 600-1,300 per vehicle for loading and unloading. We have halted all freight work at private container depots protesting this extortion,” he said.
Transport owners also submitted memorandums to the Chittagong Port Authority chairman and other related officers over the issue on Saturday.
Talking about the demonstration, Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association’s Secretary Ruhul Amin claimed that transport owners are not allowing any vehicle to enter the depots.
"So all freight is halted,” he told a media on Monday.
He, however, said vehicles have to pay Tk 100 while entering the depots, not Tk 150 as the transport owners and workers claim.
“It’s Tk 50 for the gate pass and another Tk 50 for parking,” Ruhul Amin said.
All depots charge for a ‘gate pass’, but parking fees are only charged at those depots that have the facility, claimed Amin adding the Chittagong port also charges Tk 57.5 for parking.
He said the funds raised from gate passes are used to cover maintenance costs of the depots.
According to bdnews24.com, Amin said no operators support charging for loading and unloading.
“But if anyone pays (workers) to speed up the loading and unloading, that’s his personal matter,” he added.
