To prevent traffic after Eid, the Chittagong Port Authority has instructed all stakeholders, including the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), to guarantee cargo delivery throughout the holidays of Eid-ul-Adha.
Except for an eight-hour break on the day of Eid, the port will be open over the holidays.
In response to a plea from the port authority, the BGMEA established two monitoring cells to help garment factory owners with cargo clearance and delivery.
“We have established two monitoring cells in Dhaka and Chattogram to ensure that garment owners take delivery of their goods during the Eid holiday. Instructions have also been given to the garment owners regarding this matter. We hope that the situation will not be like the previous years,” Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, BGMEA vice president, told local media.
During the Eid holiday, many transport workers go to their hometowns, creating a shortage of transportation for goods, he said. “We expect transport owners to arrange for a sufficient number of vehicles to keep the port’s operations running smoothly,” Rakibul added.
According to officials, importers—who are mostly BGMEA members—kept their operations closed over the last Eid holidays, which resulted in their goods being held at the port, causing congestion
According to them, the traffic jams made it difficult for other importers and exporters to handle their goods, which made it difficult to resume regular business following the holiday.
“As in previous years, the port will remain operational during this Eid holiday. However, this time we expect importers, especially garment owners, to take delivery of their imported goods during this period. To prevent congestion at the port, all stakeholder organisations should actively participate from their respective positions,” Chittagong Port Authority Secretary Md Omar Faruque shared with local media.
With the exception of eight hours on Eid day, the port authorities have issued a notice with fifteen orders to maintain port operations throughout the vacation.
The port authority has directed constant communication amongst stakeholders, including freight forwarders, off-dock operators, mainline operators, feeder operators, terminal/berth operators, C&F agents, shipping agents, and the goods transport owners association, to guarantee the smooth shipment of export-loaded containers during and after the Eid holiday.
