CHATTOGRAM, July 29: The Chattogram Port, prime sea port of the country, is facing severe congestion of containers and container shipping.
Currently a total of 10 container vessels are working in ten jetties of the port. Besides, a total of 12 container vessels have been waiting for taking berth since July 24.
Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) sources said, the Port is facing the congestion of container shipping as there was complete shut down during the five days of the past week following the student unrest.
As a result, a large numbers of container ships remained idle in the Outer Anchorage of the Port, sources said.
Currently the container ships have been arriving in the port on an average three ships daily. But the unloading of container from the ships at jetties had been delayed for the same reason.
CPA sources further said that more 24 container ships will arrive in the port till August 4.
Moreover, a total of 42 container ships are scheduled to arrive in Chattogram Port in the next month of August.
Earlier, the containers of imports and exports had been stockpiled at the port and the off-dock due to the quota protest movement and the interruption of internet service across the country.
But the working in the port started returning to normal since July 24. The restoration of limited broadband internet service raised hopes that export and import activities would soon regain their usual pace.
Importers and exporters are now able to have all goods released.
Meanwhile, the situation has been improving as traffic on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway has resumed and manual clearance of some goods at customs has started on a priority basis. But it may take another week or so for the activity to return to normal.
All activities inside the port, such as the loading-unloading of containers from ships, and the arrivals and departures of ships are normal. However, the terminal operations are being done manually as the internet is down. As such, the staff has had to work quickly.
The complete traffic movement on Dhaka-Chattogram highway remained suspended due to quota movement of the students and the unloading of containers carrying imported goods from the port and the off-dock and the arrival of containers of export goods at the port were brought to a halt.
