2.1m tonnes of consumer goods await unloading at Ctg port

CHATTOGRAM, Jan 30 (BSS): About 2.1 million (21 lakh) tonnes of consumer goods are currently waiting to be unloaded from 46 ships anchored at the outer area of Chittagong Port, as limited warehouse space and high demand for lighter ships slow down operations.
Businessmen have noted a slowdown in unloading imported consumer goods ahead of the Ramadan. At present, the 46 ships at the outer anchorage carry a total of 2.346 million (23.46 lakh) tonnes of goods. As of Thursday morning, 1.1million tonnes were unloaded, leaving roughly 1.2million (12 lakh) tonnes still waiting.
In addition, 25 ships carrying 1.35 million (13.5 lakh) tonnes of wheat have arrived, with 600 thousand tonnes already unloaded. Seven ships brought in 236 thousand (2.36 lakh) tonnes of chickpeas, lentils, and peas, of which 150 thousand (1.50 lakh) tonnes have been unloaded. Nine ships carrying 439 million (4.39 lakh) tonnes of oilseeds have seen 300 thousand tonnes unloaded so far.
Chittagong Port officials said that on average, 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes of consumer goods are transferred daily from large ships to lighter ships, which then deliver the goods to different wharves for unloading.
However, the shortage of warehouses among many companies is causing delays.
The Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC) reported that 265 lighter ships had been stranded at various places across the country for about one and a half months, including 122 carrying consumer goods.
Mejbah Uddin, Manager of MST Marine Enterprise, said importers were struggling to unload goods promptly due to insufficient storage facilities. The number of lighter ships in use has also decreased from around 1,200 to 1,022, further slowing operations.