CPA starts cargo handling under own management

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Sheikh Shahariar Zaman and Pankaj Dastidar
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has suspended the activities of operators at 12 berths and started cargo handling under its own management.
The decision became effective from today (Tuesday).
The CPA move came as a group of aggrieved co-berth operators April 29 secured a High Court order to stop the activities of the operators and the notice was served to the CPA last week.
The authorities over the last week were engaged in hectic discussions with lawyers, aggrieved berth operators and other stakeholders to settle the issue, but failed to reach an amicable settlement.
The CPA never handled the port operations before and the stakeholders fear that the move of the authorities might create disruption in cargo handling at the port.
"The CPA has taken the decision after it has failed to secure an Appellate Division order to stay the High Court order on suspension of the function of operators at 12 berths in the port," CPA secretary Sayed Farhad Uddin Ahmed told the FE.
He, however, admitted that the CPA does not have any experience in cargo handling.
In 2007, the authorities appointed 12 operators as leaders at 12 berths and made other 28 operators as berth co-partners, who totally depended on the leaders for their business.
Earlier, stevedores handled the cargo operations.
"The co-partners in the last three years helped the berth operation leaders for the smooth functioning of the port but did not get share of profit from the operation," said an aggrieved co-partner.
A berth operator said labour management at the berths is very complex and it needs lots of expertise to handle them.
"Time will say whether the port authorities can manage the operations, but I am sceptical," he said.
Berth operators perform on-dock and on-jetty works and engage a good number of labourers to do that, he added.
"It is not clear to us where from the port authorities will get so many labourers," the operators said.
Another stakeholder said the CPA decision may create a 'clumsy situation' in the port and it should be careful about cargo handling.
A port official earlier said the authorities cannot violate the court order and at the same time it cannot stop the operations of the port.
"The CPA can settle the problem out of court by ensuring fair business opportunities for all the berth operators," he said.
Chairman of Bangladesh Master Stevedores Association AHM Manzoor Alam declined to make any comment on the CPA decision.
"We had a discussion with the shipping minister last week but could not reach a solution," he said.
The Chittagong port, the main seaport of the country, handles about 90 per cent of the total trade and achieved an 8.55 per cent container handling growth in the last calendar year due to rise in import volume.
The port handled 1,161,469 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2009 against 1,069,999 TEUs, port statistics shows.