
Image Courtesy: https://infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com/
The recent nationwide dawn-to-dusk strike enforced by opposition parties, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, had minimal impact on the operational activities at the Chattogram port even as loading and unloading of containers and cargo at the port proceeded as usual, and cargo deliveries from the port yards were slightly slower, according to port officials and users.
Md. Omar Faruk, Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), stated that there was no disruption to cargo loading or unloading from the 15 vessels anchored at various jetties. While fewer vehicles entered the port to pick up cargo, those that did exit moved at a slower pace than usual. Some vehicles chose to wait within the port after loading their cargo.
Faruk emphasised that no export containers missed their shipments, as all vessels left the port as scheduled during the morning tide. The export containers intended for these vessels had reached the port by Saturday night.
Kazi Mahmud Imam Bilu, the General Secretary of the Chattogram Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association noted that trucks and trailers typically enter the port around noon to collect cargo, and Sunday mornings typically experience fewer deliveries.
The transportation of import and export-laden containers between the port and the private inland container depots (ICDs) in the port city and its outskirts proceeded without disruption, according to Md. Ruhul Amin Sikder, Secretary of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA).
He mentioned that only one vessel was scheduled to depart from the port on Monday morning, and most of the export containers designated for that ship had been sent from the ICDs by Saturday night. The remaining containers would be dispatched after the strike.