Chittagong port users fear container congestion amid virus curbs

CHATTOGRAM: The seven-day lockdown from Monday to contain the spread of coronavirus, hartal and two national and two weekly holidays last week have hampered trade activities, especially goods deliveries from Chittagong Port, said traders.

They feared that a container congestion like last year could happen at the country's premier sea port also this year if the weeklong Covid-induced restrictions are extended further.

If the curbs are extended further and production at industries and factories affected, the maritime trade, including import and export, would be hampered severely like last year, said Mahbubul Alam, president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and also the Port Users' Forum.

He said a severe cargo handling crisis and container congestion happened at the Chittagong Port due to the prolonged nationwide shutdown during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that brought the country's overall trade activities almost to a standstill.

That type of crisis and container congestion could also happen during the second wave of the pandemic this year if the situation lingered for a long time, Mr Alam said, adding "So we have to remain alert this time."

Traders said general strike called by Hifazat-e-Islam countrywide last week which was preceded by the March 26 Independence Day holiday and followed by Shab-e-Barat holiday on Mar 29, and two weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday, started taking their toll on trade activities at Chittagong Port where handling of export cargoes and deliveries of imported goods faced an interruption in the period.

Adding to the interruption, the weeklong curbs which entered its fourth day on Thursday, started to hamper the normal business activities, especially cargo delivery from the port which might lead to a container congestion at the port, they said, cautioning "If the lockdown rolls on for another week or for a longer time, a container congestion is inevitable."

Officials said half a dozen oceangoing vessels sailed from Chittagong Port as of Wednesday. Besides that, 105 cargo ships remained anchored at the port till Wednesday evening.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) officials said loading and unloading were done at 84 vessels till Wednesday afternoon while 21 vessels were waiting for the same at the port.

A total of 6,047 TEUs of containers were handled on the day (April 7). Of these, 2,988 TEUs were unloaded while 1,609 TEUs were loaded for export.

The CPA dispatched a total of 9,073 TEUs containers from Chittagong Port to Dhaka the same day.

However, CPA secretary Omar Faruk declined to agree with the traders' claims of interruption in cargo deliveries from the port due to a series of holidays and the hartal last month, and imposition of the ongoing lockdown.

He claimed that container handling was normal till Wednesday.

"Amid the lockdown, the operational activities of Chittagong Port including loading and unloading are quite normal till today. Loading and unloading of containers and goods are continuing at Outer Anchorage and jetties too," he said.

"I hope nothing will happen that may trigger container congestion as the industries and factories have remained open and they have continued to take delivery of goods till today," he added.

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