HC orders suspension of 12 berth operators' work
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman and Pankaj Dastider
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has been served with a High Court order to stop operations of 12 berth operators meaning the port will virtually come to a standstill if the ruling is executed.
The CPA engaged Wednesday in hectic parleys with its lawyers and negotiations with the aggrieved co-berth operators who filed the writ petition to secure the HC order, but failed to reach an amicable out-of-court settlement.
The HC gave the order for suspension of the activities of the 12 principal berth operators for three months.
The port in 2007 changed the age-old system of stevedores and introduced berth operators and ship handling operators.
The authorities appointed 12 operators as leaders at 12 berths and made other 28 operators as berth co-partners, which are totally depended on the leaders for their business.
"The aggrieved operators served the HC stay order notice Tuesday evening and the port will have to suspend its operations if the order is executed," CPA chairman Riaz Uddin Ahmed told the FE.
"We cannot violate the court order and at the same time we cannot stop the operations of the Chittagong Port," he said.
It is a matter of image of the government and the country as many international ships are berthed at the port, he added.
"We have to find an interim solution very quickly as the High Court order is obligatory to all of us," the chairman said.
The CPA Wednesday went to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court to stay the High Court order but could not get it by the day, said a source in the port.
"The CPA can solve 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 said the aggrieved operators got the High Court order April 29 but waited couple of days to serve the notice to settle the issue amicably.
"We had a discussion with the shipping minister Monday but could not reach a solution," he said.
"The co-partners in the last three years helped the berth leaders for the smooth functioning of the port but did not get due share of profit from the operation," said an aggrieved co-partner.
"We had to seek High Court ruling to settle the issue,' he said.
The CPA is trying to appoint berth operators through tender process, but it is not possible due to technical problem, he added.
"The operators are paid by two parties - shipping agents or importers for on-dock work and the CPA for on-jetty work. It is not possible for the authorities to float tender for on-dock work as it is paid by private sector," he explained.
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.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has been served with a High Court order to stop operations of 12 berth operators meaning the port will virtually come to a standstill if the ruling is executed.
The CPA engaged Wednesday in hectic parleys with its lawyers and negotiations with the aggrieved co-berth operators who filed the writ petition to secure the HC order, but failed to reach an amicable out-of-court settlement.
The HC gave the order for suspension of the activities of the 12 principal berth operators for three months.
The port in 2007 changed the age-old system of stevedores and introduced berth operators and ship handling operators.
The authorities appointed 12 operators as leaders at 12 berths and made other 28 operators as berth co-partners, which are totally depended on the leaders for their business.
"The aggrieved operators served the HC stay order notice Tuesday evening and the port will have to suspend its operations if the order is executed," CPA chairman Riaz Uddin Ahmed told the FE.
"We cannot violate the court order and at the same time we cannot stop the operations of the Chittagong Port," he said.
It is a matter of image of the government and the country as many international ships are berthed at the port, he added.
"We have to find an interim solution very quickly as the High Court order is obligatory to all of us," the chairman said.
The CPA Wednesday went to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court to stay the High Court order but could not get it by the day, said a source in the port.
"The CPA can solve 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 said the aggrieved operators got the High Court order April 29 but waited couple of days to serve the notice to settle the issue amicably.
"We had a discussion with the shipping minister Monday but could not reach a solution," he said.
"The co-partners in the last three years helped the berth leaders for the smooth functioning of the port but did not get due share of profit from the operation," said an aggrieved co-partner.
"We had to seek High Court ruling to settle the issue,' he said.
The CPA is trying to appoint berth operators through tender process, but it is not possible due to technical problem, he added.
"The operators are paid by two parties - shipping agents or importers for on-dock work and the CPA for on-jetty work. It is not possible for the authorities to float tender for on-dock work as it is paid by private sector," he explained.
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.