Container delivery drops 45% at Chattogram Port amid prime mover strike
The disruption has caused an additional 3,300 containers to pile up at the country’s busiest seaport.
Highlights:
- Container delivery at Chattogram Port falls by nearly 45% over four days
- Prime mover owners suspended container transport on 15 October
- This came after port authorities raised heavy vehicle gate pass fees from Tk57 to Tk230
- Disruption causes additional 3,300 containers to pile up at port
- Port authorities claim operations remain mostly unaffected, but traders and exporters say otherwise
Container delivery at Chattogram Port has fallen by nearly 45% over the past four days as transport operators continue their strike protesting a sharp increase in vehicle entry fees.
The Chattogram Prime Mover Owners Association suspended container transport on 15 October after the port authority raised the heavy vehicle gate pass fee by about 300%, from Tk57 to Tk230, without consultation with stakeholders.
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The disruption has caused an additional 3,300 containers to pile up at the country's busiest seaport.
Port data shows that on 14 October, the port delivered 3,652 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) out of 8,036 handled. As the increased fee came into effect the next day, delivery plunged and continued to drop, falling to just 2,007 TEUs by 18 October.
While private inland container depots (ICDs) continue operations, most privately owned prime movers and trailers refuse to enter the port under the new fee structure, causing a growing container backlog.
Yesterday morning, the association escalated the strike with a full-scale work stoppage.
During a protest meeting organised by the Port Users Forum at a convention hall in Chattogram, Mohammad Hossain, general secretary of the Chattogram Prime Mover Owners Association, said, "The gate pass fee has been raised from Tk57 to Tk230 without any discussion. This is not only irrational but also unjust."
He added that the strike will continue until the port authority withdraws the increased fee.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) issued a notice last evening, calling transport owners and workers to a meeting today in a bid to resolve the standoff.
Although the port authority maintains that operations remain mostly unaffected due to expanded storage capacity, traders and exporters say the transport halt has already caused significant financial losses.
Importers are now paying additional storage charges ranging from $24 to $96 per container per day, while garment factory owners, who are heavily dependent on imported raw materials, face production delays.
Former Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) director Belayet Hossain told The Business Standard, "The apparel industry runs on tight schedules. If a container carrying raw materials is delayed even by a day, factory owners still have to pay workers' wages.
"To make up for lost time, they often have to operate on holidays with extra pay, which is a direct loss."
Meanwhile, former Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry director Mahfuzul Haque Shah said a 45% drop in container delivery in just four days has caused irreparable damage to the economy.
This disruption will push up prices of imported essentials and hurt exports as well, he added.
"What could have been solved in 12 hours took four days because of bureaucratic inefficiency and indecision. A port of international importance cannot run like this."
When contacted, CPA Secretary Omar Faruk acknowledged "some impact" due to the transport strike but claimed it has not significantly affected overall port operations.
"The port's expanded handling capacity has helped us manage the situation," he said.
