Chattogram Bureau :
Due to the strike of Bangladesh Lighterage Workers Union and Bangladesh Shipping Workers Federation, unloading of consignments in outer berth of Chattogram Port and transportation of goods by river has been suspended for third consequetive days. . More than one and a half thousand lighter vessels , oil tankers and bulk heads are waiting in Karnafuli river chan nel.
Nabi Alam, Joint General Secretary of the Bangladesh Shipping Workers Federation, told the media on Tuesday that our strike has started from midnight. Unloading of goods from mother vessels to lighter vessels at the outer anchorage remain suspended for third days. . There are more than fifty mother vessels in the outer anchorage. No cargo vessels are sailing the river. Although some lighter vessels tried to sail or unload goods, the workers of the nearby lighter ships forcibly stopped work. Lighters, tankers bulk heads are sitting idly in various safe places of the river channel.
Shahadat Hossain, General Secretary of Bangladesh Lighterage Workers Union, told the media that our strike has started from 7 pm on Monday last.. From evening till night we had tripartite discussions with various government agencies, ship owners and workers unions in Dhaka. The problem was not solved. Therefore, the pre-announced strike will continue indefinitely.
Chittagong Port Authority Secretary. Omar Farooq told the media that although there are no lighter vessel cruising outside the port . The unloading and loading of containers in the inner berths remained operative .
An official of the Water Transport Cell (WTC) said that even though the lighter ships take serials from the WTC every day, but there are no bookings of lighter vessels due to the strike .
According to sources, bulk cargos like wheat, maize, pulses, fertilizer, sugar, cement clinker, stone, coal and edible oil are imported from abroad in large cargo ships. Due to low draft of Karnafuli river channel , these mother vessels cannot reach directly in the inner jetty. So these vessels supposed to unload cargos in smaller vessels (lighters, tankers etc.) are waiting at the outer berth and taken away to various river ports and industrial warehouses. Transportation of raw materials from various industries has been virtually halted due to the strike of shipping workers.
This has raised concerns among importers and industrialists about uninterrupted production and maintaining a normal supply chain. Meanthile Chattogram chamber of Commerce President Mahbubul Alam instantly sent a DO letter to Labour & Manpower Minister Begum Munnujan Sufian yesterday to mitigate the ongoing strike of the marine workers.
Due to the strike of Bangladesh Lighterage Workers Union and Bangladesh Shipping Workers Federation, unloading of consignments in outer berth of Chattogram Port and transportation of goods by river has been suspended for third consequetive days. . More than one and a half thousand lighter vessels , oil tankers and bulk heads are waiting in Karnafuli river chan nel.
Nabi Alam, Joint General Secretary of the Bangladesh Shipping Workers Federation, told the media on Tuesday that our strike has started from midnight. Unloading of goods from mother vessels to lighter vessels at the outer anchorage remain suspended for third days. . There are more than fifty mother vessels in the outer anchorage. No cargo vessels are sailing the river. Although some lighter vessels tried to sail or unload goods, the workers of the nearby lighter ships forcibly stopped work. Lighters, tankers bulk heads are sitting idly in various safe places of the river channel.
Shahadat Hossain, General Secretary of Bangladesh Lighterage Workers Union, told the media that our strike has started from 7 pm on Monday last.. From evening till night we had tripartite discussions with various government agencies, ship owners and workers unions in Dhaka. The problem was not solved. Therefore, the pre-announced strike will continue indefinitely.
Chittagong Port Authority Secretary. Omar Farooq told the media that although there are no lighter vessel cruising outside the port . The unloading and loading of containers in the inner berths remained operative .
An official of the Water Transport Cell (WTC) said that even though the lighter ships take serials from the WTC every day, but there are no bookings of lighter vessels due to the strike .
According to sources, bulk cargos like wheat, maize, pulses, fertilizer, sugar, cement clinker, stone, coal and edible oil are imported from abroad in large cargo ships. Due to low draft of Karnafuli river channel , these mother vessels cannot reach directly in the inner jetty. So these vessels supposed to unload cargos in smaller vessels (lighters, tankers etc.) are waiting at the outer berth and taken away to various river ports and industrial warehouses. Transportation of raw materials from various industries has been virtually halted due to the strike of shipping workers.
This has raised concerns among importers and industrialists about uninterrupted production and maintaining a normal supply chain. Meanthile Chattogram chamber of Commerce President Mahbubul Alam instantly sent a DO letter to Labour & Manpower Minister Begum Munnujan Sufian yesterday to mitigate the ongoing strike of the marine workers.
