BMLS legal notice challenges new Chattogram Port tariff as unlawful
BMLS warns it will initiate legal proceedings if authorities fail to comply within 72 hours
The Bangladesh Maritime Law Society (BMLS) has served a legal notice on the government and the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), demanding the immediate withdrawal of the newly issued circular that enforces higher port tariffs from 15 October 2025.
In the notice, signed by BMLS President Mohiuddin Abdul Kadir, the organisation described the CPA circular dated 30 September 2025 as "illegal, arbitrary, and inconsistent with the parent law." Copies of the notice were sent to the secretaries of the Shipping, Finance, and Law Ministries, as well as the CPA Chairman and its Chief Finance and Accounts Officer.
The new tariff raises the average container handling cost per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) from Tk11,849 to Tk16,243, while the charge for loading and unloading containers from vessels increases from $43.40 to $68.00.
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According to the BMLS, these steep hikes would significantly inflate costs for importers, exporters, and domestic manufacturers, making Bangladeshi exports less competitive in international markets. The organisation noted that the port, being the country's principal trade gateway, already faces operational inefficiencies and delays, and further tariff increases would only worsen the situation.
The BMLS also questioned the credibility of the consultants engaged by the CPA to advise on tariff revision — M/S Idiom, Consulting, Engineering & Architecture, Spain JV, and M/S Logicform Limited, Dhaka — claiming that neither firm has relevant experience in port management or operations. The appointment of such firms, the notice alleged, was "made without following due process and not in the public interest."
Citing Section 33(5) of the Port Act 1908, the notice argued that no order increasing or imposing port dues may take effect before the expiry of sixty days from its gazette publication. Implementing the new rates within 30 days, therefore, "travels beyond the parent law and is ultra vires," the BMLS said.
The organisation urged the government to cancel or recall the circular within 72 hours, and to form a multi-sector committee of stakeholders to reassess the new tariff structure in a transparent and consultative manner.
Failing compliance within the stated time, the BMLS warned, it would initiate legal proceedings to safeguard the public interest and the integrity of the country's maritime sector.
