Shippers\\\' Council for further reduction of freight tariff

Mr. Md. Rezaul Karim, Chairman, Shippers' Council of Bangladesh, on behalf of the Members congratulated Bangladesh Shipping Corporation for launching M. V. Banglar Shikha as a feeder vessel in Mongla-Chittagong and Mongla weekly in both ends from 14th February, 2014.
“It was a long felt demand of the country’s business community. This is the first move taken by the state-owned organisation to carry exportable goods from the region by fulfilling all necessary formalities relating to shipment,” said Mr. Md. Rezaul Karim.
The exporters of frozen foods, raw jute exporters and jute goods producers, are at present transporting their goods by road that often causes serious uncertainty due to traffic congestion. The exporters of this sector adversely suffer while carrying goods by road due to shortage of ferries. Even in most of the cases, they failed their shipping schedules for uncertainty of the road disturbances. Moreover they had to pay additional charges for carrying goods by road.
 With the launching of feeder services the exporters will be able to send their cargoes to the Chittagong Port from Mongla Port easily. For this carrying cost on the route by the vessel will be cost effective than the road routes.
BSC has initially fixed Freight Tariff at US$ 120 for each 20-foot container, US$ 150 for refer container and US$ 90 for empty container.
Mr. Karim, Chairman, Shippers' Council of Bangladesh further opined that the freight tariff fixed by the BSC are quite high. In this regards BSC may reconsider the freight tariff again for the greater interest of the trade & export.