CHATTOGRAM, Oct 30: Though the 48-hour strike enforced by road transport workers ended on Tuesday morning, it will take at least two weeks for the country's prime seaport to return to normal.
Trade body leaders and Chittagong port's stakeholders said the extent of loss caused to the export sector, disruption in the production units and the negative impact on the image of Chittagong port cannot be assessed in any count.
The situation got worsened unlike any time in the past as long vehicle drivers belonging to the Prime Movers Owners Association, which is exclusively related with the port-based activities, joined hands with the road transport workers.
Usually cargo handling activities remain operational in the port jetties during the strike, but delivery of cargoes from the port and receiving the export cargoes for outbound shipment remained suspended this time.
During the recent strike, container movers who operate the vehicles in loading and unloading of containers in the ships in jetties abstained from work, although they are working directly under berth and ship-handling operators in the port.
As a result, loading and unloading of containerised cargoes was stopped or done partially alongside suspension of delivery of cargoes from the port.
The data available with the Chittagong Port Authority gave a grim picture of loading and unloading activities in the jetties.
Only 86 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers were handled in 24 hours until Monday noon against 3,142 TEUs of containers handled during the previous 24 hours.
Port users and berth and ship handling operators have alleged that prime movers working in the Chattogram port have held the cargo handling activities hostage.
Even president of Prime Movers Owners Association Abu Bakkar Siddiqui told the media on Monday night that they decided to join cargo handling from Monday afternoon and asked the operators to join work.
But the drivers did not join work. They said they would observe strike in support of the road transport workers. So, the container movement activities in the port remained suspended, said leaders of the berth and ship handling operators in the port.
Ruhul Amin Sikdar Biplab, secretary of BICDA (Bangladesh Inland Depot Owners Association) told the FE that nine ships were waiting for unloading containers of import cargoes in the port jetties but no container was unloaded from the ships due to absence of the container movers.
Regarding the 48-hour transport strike, CCCI (Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry) president Mahbubul Alam said the negative impact of the strike on the overall business and import and export is immense.
The loss caused by the strike to the national economy cannot be assessed in any count because such strikes leave the port at the risk of no-call by international shipping businesses.
Many executives from different shipping lines voiced concern over the impasse due to delay in the port activities.
Besides, the exporters of readymade garments will face huge financial loss as the export consignments failed to meet the deadline of export.
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