Lighter vessel owners asked to follow Water Transport Cell’s regulations
Shipping Department forms body to resolve disputes between two organisations
The Shipping Department has instructed all lighter vessel owners to stick to the Water Transport Cell's management of transportation of goods from the outer anchorage of Chattogram port.
The department has also decided to form a committee to resolve the ongoing disputes between two organisations of lighter vessel owners.
The decision came at a meeting of the director general of the Shipping Department and representatives of three constituents of the Water Transport Cell – Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners' Association, Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chattogram, and Coastal Ship Owners Association of Bangladesh.
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At the meeting, Director General of Shipping Commodore Mohammad Maqsood Alam instructed lighter vessels to adhere to the existing method of the Water Transport Cell, maintaining continuity with past practices.
Sources at the meeting said the committee will be formed to address the ongoing dispute between the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners' Association and the Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chattogram. It will comprise two representatives from the respective organisations within the Water Transport Cell, alongside ship owners and commodity agents.
Md Iqbal Hossain, the president of the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners' Association, told The Business Standard that a pivotal decision was reached at the meeting to operate lighter vessels under the Water Transport Cell.
Parvez Ahmed, spokesperson of Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chattogram, told TBS that the organisation presented its statement during the meeting.
He added that the High Court judgment supports the assertion that the Water Transport Cell lacks a legal basis, adding complexity to the ongoing dispute resolution process.
The Water Transport Cell, a consolidation of the three ship owner organisations, was formed two decades ago. Recently, the Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chattogram left the cell, choosing to operate ships independently, resulting in significant unrest within the sea route goods transportation sector.
Legal notice to shipping DG
The Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chattogram has questioned the legitimacy of the Water Transport Cell as a regulator in a legal notice issued to the director general of shipping.
Barrister Samiul Huq sent the notice on Sunday on behalf of Mohammad Jahangir Alam, the proprietor of MS Shipping Line, a lighter ship management company representing the Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chattogram.
Citing a High Court order, Samiul stated in the notice that the Water Transport Cell is not recognised as a legitimate institution and its activities are deemed illegal.
The shipping department's characterisation of the cell as a "recognised and legitimate" institution is illegal and amounts to contempt of court, said the notice.
Earlier, on 21 December, the director general of shipping issued an urgent naval notification with directives to resolve the conflict within the Water Transport Cell.
