Cargo vessel leaves for Liverpool

FE Team | Published: May 21, 2022 21:51:29

NAZIMUDDIN SHYAMOL
CHATTOGRAM, May 21: After resumption of Chattogram-Europe direct sea link late last year, another cargo vessel carrying readymade garment (RMG) goods set the sail for a European destination at the weekend.
Privately-owned vessel MV AMO carrying 182 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers left Chittagong seaport for England's Liverpool for the first time directly on Friday.
The vessel will reach the Liverpool Port after 23 days from its departure from the outer anchorage of Chattogram, said Moinul Islam, Director of Phoenix Shipping Limited, the local operator of the ship.
On December 26 last year, 'MV Cap Flores' after loading some empty containers at Chittagong Port left for Italy and the vessel reached its European destination without berthing at any trans-shipment port during the voyage, heralding resumption of the Chattogram-Europe direct shipping link, 44 years after the last oceangoing cargo vessel left Chittagong Port for a European country in 1977.
This was followed by direct voyage in February this year between Chattogram and Italy by container ship MV Songa Cheetah.
On February 7, 2022, Songa Cheetah left the Chittagong Port for the Port of Ravenna in Italy with 952 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) of export goods substantiating the fact that Chattogram-Europe direct shipping link resumed after 44 years, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) officials said.
They said the two voyages between Chattogram and Europe directly by the two different container-carrying ships have created new possibilities for export and import with Europe through the direct sea route, they said adding the CPA is considering the applications of the ship owners for the new possible route on priority basis.
Contacted, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan confirmed the departure of the second merchandise vessel bound for Europe.
"The start of Chattogram Europe sea link has created a scope for us to open a new era of direct export-import route between Bangladesh and Europe, the country's biggest RMG shipment destination. It can be termed a glorious event for Bangladesh," he said.
He said the CPA is actively considering re-establishing the old direct commercial route through sea.
The port authority has already received many applications to reopen the route from various stakeholders, including local shipping lines and local agents of different foreign shipping companies, he informed.
The CPA will give priority for berthing, allocation of cranes and providing other possible facilities to (local and foreign) cargo ships that will sail on the possible direct sea route between Chattogram and Europe, he said.
If anyone (organisation or individual) wanted to start the sea route from Chattogram to Europe, the CPA will give all support in this regard, he added.
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