Slow unloading, capacity limits choke Ctg Port, importers asked to clear cargoes in 5 days

Highlights:

• Chattogram Port congestion worsens due to acute lighter vessel shortage
• Record 176 mother vessels anchored, including 61 carrying essentials
• Importers using lighter vessels as floating warehouses, worsening delays
• Shipping ministry issues five-day ultimatum, threatens criminal action
• Manual unloading system causes severe delays and operational bottlenecks
• Prolonged unloading risks artificial shortages and price hikes before Ramadan

Chattogram Port is facing severe congestion due to an acute shortage of lighterage vessels, as some of the major importers continue to keep more than 200 lighter vessels unloaded, prompting the Ministry of Shipping to issue a five-day ultimatum to clear the cargo or face legal action.

The crisis has worsened with a record 176 mother vessels currently anchored at the port's outer anchorage, according to port and shipping officials. Of these, 61 are carrying essential commodities – a sharp increase compared to the same period ahead of Ramadan last year, when 41 mother vessels were anchored.

Officials say a combination of stockpiling by large importers, uncontrolled imports and a slow, largely manual unloading system has pushed port operations and the lightering capacity to breaking point.

Sources at the shipping ministry said some of the big importing groups are using lighter vessels as floating warehouses instead of unloading cargo within the stipulated time. As a result, more than 200 lighter vessels remain stuck, worsening the shortage and tightening supply in the domestic market despite ample imports.

Confirming the congestion, Parvez Ahmed, a member of the convener committee of the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC), told The Business Standard that only 84 lighter vessels could be allocated over the past two days, despite demand being more than double.

"Most of the ships anchored at the port are unable to unload their cargo," he said, adding that he had not witnessed such a situation in more than 30 years in the shipping business.

Infograph: TBS

Five-day deadline after high-level meeting

In response to the crisis, senior shipping ministry officials held a meeting with sector stakeholders on Tuesday, including representatives of major importing groups. 

The importers were instructed to unload their goods and release the stranded lighter vessels within five days. 

Officials warned that failure to comply would lead to stern action, including criminal cases.

Confirming the decisions, Commodore Md Shafiul Bari, director general of shipping, told The Business Standard that multiple task forces have already been formed to enforce discipline across the supply chain.

He said, "The shipping ministry has formed multiple task forces to take action against irregularities in unloading, storage and transportation," he said. "Three task forces are already operating – one in Khulna and two in Dhaka, covering Narayanganj and Munshiganj – and they have been instructed to conduct daily drives."

He added that the task forces, led by executive magistrates, have been directed to file regular criminal cases against importers deliberately slowing unloading and using lighter vessels as floating warehouses to hoard goods and raise prices ahead of Ramadan.

Explaining the scale of the problem, the DG said the number of anchored vessels is far beyond the system's handling capacity.

"Of the record 176 mother vessels now anchored at Chattogram Port, 61 are carrying essential commodities. This sharp increase from last year is a major factor behind the disruption," he said.

According to him, the BWTCC can effectively manage around 50 mother vessels at a time. "With more than three times that number waiting, pressure on port operations has intensified," he added.

Manual unloading remains key bottleneck

Officials said the outdated and largely manual unloading system is at the heart of the delays.

Once cargo is discharged from mother vessels, it usually reaches river ports or depots within one to one-and-a-half days. The real bottleneck begins during unloading, particularly for bulk commodities such as wheat.

"These are not containerised cargoes. Wheat arrives in bulk and must be bagged, stitched, carried manually, loaded onto trucks and then sent to markets or warehouses," an official said.

In many cases, there are no dedicated warehouses, forcing goods to move directly into already congested markets. 

Even with around 60 labourers working continuously, unloading a single lighter vessel can take 10 to 12 days. "With cranes or mechanical systems, the same work could be completed in four days," the official added.

As a result, vessels that should clear within four days often remain stuck for more than 10 days, creating congestion and artificial supply gaps.

Essentials lying idle

Task forces have also found that essential commodities are being held idle for unusually long periods. 

"We have seen fertiliser sitting at ghats or river ports for 20 to 54 days without being moved," an official said.

Several large business groups are now under scrutiny. Officials said one of the major importers alone has kept around 80 vessels idle, carrying fertiliser, bitumen, mustard, edible oil, wheat and sugar.

Similar practices have been observed among other major importers, with unloading schedules allegedly being controlled by importers through their clearing and forwarding agents.

Under existing rules, importers get a 12-day grace period to unload cargo. Delays beyond that attract demurrage at Tk7 per tonne per day, payable to ship owners. Officials warned that prolonged delays would ultimately be added to commodity prices, increasing the risk of price hikes in the coming weeks.

Uncontrolled imports, eased bay crossing

Officials also flagged uncontrolled imports as a structural risk, warning that higher volumes without corresponding unloading capacity could deepen the crisis rather than ease it.

To ease congestion, authorities have recently relaxed bay-crossing restrictions during the current calm sea season, allowing more vessels to unload at outer anchorages. Normally, only vessels over 50 metres in length and 700 registered tonnage are allowed. 

Officials said permissions are now being granted more flexibly so ships can unload at outer anchorages.

"We hope to add around 100 vessels by relaxing bay-crossing rules. If we can also release the 200 lighter vessels held by large importers within the next five to seven days, congestion will ease significantly," Commodore Shafiul said.