Cargo vessel owners blamed for attacking, obstructing inland vessels
The Chattogram port handled 30,04,505 TEUs containers till 25 December. This photo was taken recently from the port's Saltgola crossing area. Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
The Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chattogram has accused the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association of creating chaos in the country's sea route goods transportation sector, including attacks on ships and obstruction of loading and unloading activities.
The Inland Vessel Owners Association Vice President and Spokesperson Parvez Ahmed voiced these concerns yesterday during a press conference at the association's office in Agrabad of Chattogram city.
In a written statement, he expressed the frustration of Inland Vessel Owners Association members and ordinary ship owners over the past four years, citing autocratic manoeuvres, monopoly, irregularities, and corruption by some Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association leaders.
Simultaneously, the High Court declared the Water Transport policy illegal. As a result, the Inland Vessel Owners Association disassociated itself from Water Transport Cell activities on 19 November.
The Water Transport Cell, formed over two decades ago, consolidated three ship owner organisations – the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association, the Inland Vessel Owners Association, and the Coastal Ship Owners Association of Bangladesh.
Formerly under the Water Transport Cell's control with 1,300 vessels, the Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chattogram now manages 300 vessels independently, leading to the creation of a new cell.
On 19 December, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud announced the inauguration of product transportation management activities led by the Inland Vessel Owners Association from Chattogram port to various seaports and destinations.
Parvez Ahmed, spokesperson for the Inland Vessel Owners Association, alleged that after their recent allocation of lighter ships, their vessels faced illegal obstructions from ship handling operators.
He claimed that these operators acted indirectly under the instigation of Shamsuzzaman Russel, chairman of the Bangladesh Ship Handling and Berth Operators Association, and with the apparent backing of the Water Transport Cell.
In response, they have informed the chairman of Chattogram Port and the concerned authorities by letter.
When contacted, Shamsuzzaman Russel, chairman of the Bangladesh Ship Handling and Berth Operators Association, said, "They must identify the specific lighter vessel affected. If loading goods from the mother vessel to the lighter vessel is halted, how did the cargo reach its destination? The allegations of Inland Vessel Owners Association leaders about obstructing loading of goods are not true."
The situation escalated on Wednesday when a group of miscreants, allegedly led by Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association leaders, attacked and attempted to hijack ships allocated by the Inland Vessel Owners Association at Shah Cement Ghat.
The attack resulted in 16 injuries, including members of the monitoring team and workers, with two individuals still missing.
Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association Secretary and Water Transport Cell convenor Nurul Haque told The Business Standard that Water Transport Cell, a recognised organisation of the Department of Shipping operating for 25 years, has been falsely accused.
According to Nurul Haque, the Inland Vessel Owners Association's recent formation of a new cell was illegal. He claimed that when Water Transport Cell officials inspected a long-operating serial-free ship at the checkpoint, they were attacked.
He dismissed all allegations against the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association and Water Transport Cell as false and baseless.
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