Cargo transportation from the maritime port and its outer anchorage faces a total disorder as the river transport workers enforced their strike for the second day to press home realisation of their demands.
At least 15 mother vessels have been sitting idle with import cargoes in the outer anchorage and port jetties on Thursday due to suspension of carrying goods by lighter vessels to different destinations of the country, port sources said.
Following the situation the Water Transport Coordination Cell has cancelled fresh booking of lightering vessels. The WTCC is a body that provides lighter vessels for offloading and transportation of cargo from the mother vessels which cannot enter the port due to draft limitation in Chittagong seaport.
Apart from the impasse in cargo delivery through river routes, the impasse has caused financial loss to the tune of about Tk 20 million per day to those concerned with transportation.
At least 15 mother vessels have been sitting idle with import cargoes in the outer anchorage and port jetties on Thursday due to suspension of carrying goods by lighter vessels to different destinations of the country, port sources said.
Following the situation the Water Transport Coordination Cell has cancelled fresh booking of lightering vessels. The WTCC is a body that provides lighter vessels for offloading and transportation of cargo from the mother vessels which cannot enter the port due to draft limitation in Chittagong seaport.
Apart from the impasse in cargo delivery through river routes, the impasse has caused financial loss to the tune of about Tk 20 million per day to those concerned with transportation.
Owners of the lightering vessels said they would have to count financial loss of about Tk 15 million per day as demurrage.
Around 400 lightering vessels including the loaded ones are also lying idle in different areas of Karnaphuli River and the outer area in the Bay due to work abstention by transport workers.
Nowjan Sramik Federation, a forum of the river transport workers, enforced the strike to realise their 16-point charter of demand from Wednesday that has created stalemate.
Their demands include increase in the number of river transport workers, preventive measures to check extortion, issuance of appointment letter and identity card for workers, keeping rivers pollution-free and expediting dredging of the river routes.
Secretary of Chittagong Port Authority Syed Forhad Uddin has said offloading of cargo from ships is undisturbed in the port jetties, but offloading in 12 mother vessels in the outer anchorage remains suspended as the workers of lighter vessels are on strike.
"Lightering of cargo from the mother vessels is a major problem now," he said adding that these vessels have carried fuel oil, sugar, urea fertiliser, salt, cement clinker, wheat and steel billet.
Executive director of the WTCC Mahbubur Rashid admitted that delivery of cargo from the port to country's other parts through river routes is facing problems due to ongoing strike of the lighter vessels workers for enhancement of their wages.
A senior leader of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA) observed, it will bring adverse impact on the retail market of commodities and the common people will feel the pinch if the stalemate is allowed to continue.
He termed the strike as not time-befitting and illogical and said that vested quarters in the water transport cell are acting from behind the scene.
Their demands include increase in the number of river transport workers, preventive measures to check extortion, issuance of appointment letter and identity card for workers, keeping rivers pollution-free and expediting dredging of the river routes.
Secretary of Chittagong Port Authority Syed Forhad Uddin has said offloading of cargo from ships is undisturbed in the port jetties, but offloading in 12 mother vessels in the outer anchorage remains suspended as the workers of lighter vessels are on strike.
"Lightering of cargo from the mother vessels is a major problem now," he said adding that these vessels have carried fuel oil, sugar, urea fertiliser, salt, cement clinker, wheat and steel billet.
Executive director of the WTCC Mahbubur Rashid admitted that delivery of cargo from the port to country's other parts through river routes is facing problems due to ongoing strike of the lighter vessels workers for enhancement of their wages.
A senior leader of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA) observed, it will bring adverse impact on the retail market of commodities and the common people will feel the pinch if the stalemate is allowed to continue.
He termed the strike as not time-befitting and illogical and said that vested quarters in the water transport cell are acting from behind the scene.
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