Ctg port activities halted as ship workers on strike

CHATTOGRAM, Dec 28: Cargo vessel workers launched a strike early on Saturday, suspending loading and unloading of goods in Chittagong Port.

The Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation announced the strike to meet their various demands, including arrest of the killers of the seven workers on MV Al-Bakhera in Chandpur and compensation for their families.

Due to the strike, cargo transportation activities through lighter vessels were also suspended, sources said.

Official sources said a total of 28 ships were waiting with over 20 lakh tonnes of cargoes at the outer anchorage of the seaport.

On the other hand, around 20 ships are waiting in the Bay of Bengal to enter the port.

Meanwhile, lightering was also halted at the port's outer anchorage and 16 ghats of the Karnaphuli River.

So, no containers and cargoes were loaded and unloaded onto and from ships. Besides, around 10 lakh tonnes of goods were stuck in 738 ships at 45 ports of the country due to the strike.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) secretary Omar Faruk said, "The strike is hampering the loading and unloading of goods at the outer anchorage at the port. If the strike continues, the port's activities will be severely hampered."

Exporters and importers say if a mother vessel stays at outer anchorage without loading and unloading of goods, the authorities concerned have to lose $10,000 to $15000 every day.

At present, around 30 mother vessels have remained idle at the outer anchorage, so importers have to lose foreign currencies every day.

Nabi Alam, vice-president of the Bangladesh Lighter Ship Workers Union, said the strike might continue as the administration did not take any initiative to meet the demands.

He said transportation of goods by lighter vessels has been suspended as workers stopped loading and unloading of goods in all 18 private jetties.

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