Lightering services at Ctg port start

CHATTOGRAM, Dec 29: The lighterage services at 16 stations and outer anchorage in the Karnaphuli River near the Chittagong Port began on Sunday morning after withdrawal of the indefinite strike by water transport workers.
"The lighter ships have already gone to the outer anchorage to load and unload the cargoes and containers from mother vessels," Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Omar Faruk told the FE Sunday afternoon.
Labour leaders withdrew their strike following a high-level meeting attended by Director General (DG) of the Directorate of Shipping Commodore Maqsood Alam, coast guard, naval police, police, intelligence agency and leaders of Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation on Saturday night, sources said.
The two-day strike, triggered by the murder of seven lighter ship workers in Chandpur, caused severe disruptions to the country's supply chain and industrial production.
The labour leaders called off their strike on assurance from the government to meet their demand, including securing the waterways.
The demand included Tk 2.0 milliom as compensation for each of the families of 7 murdered workers, including the master of the MV Al Bakhera ship, and an end to terrorism, extortion and robbery on all waterways.
President of Bangladesh Lighterage Workers Union Sheikh Mohammed Isha Meah said, "After holding successful discussion, lightering at the outer anchorage has started as weather also favours."
Nobi Alam, vice president of Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation said, "More than 1500 lighter ships, oil tankers which stood standstill at Karnaphuli river started service again. The situation is quite normal."

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