35 lighter vessels issued bay crossing permission in Ctg port

The Department of Shipping has granted special bay crossing permission to 35 lighter vessels to navigate open sea routes to tackle the ongoing cargo handling crisis at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port.

This decision, taken last week and implemented on Sunday with the upcoming Ramadan in mind, aimed to maintain the internal waterway supply network and expedite cargo offloading from mother vessels arriving from abroad.

Under normal regulations, only vessels longer than 45 metres are permitted to cross the Bay of Bengal and offload cargo at the outer anchorage. Smaller vessels are restricted to river routes. However, given the current shortage, officials have temporarily waived this restriction for 35 lighter vessels, allowing them to operate on sea routes until 31 March 2025, provided they meet safety and survey requirements.

Officials believed this initiative would accelerate import cargo movement, reduce the waiting time for foreign vessels, and save millions in operational costs.

Monjurul Kabir, chief engineer of the Department of Shipping, confirmed the special permission granted to the 35 lighter vessels. He said, "Considering the weather conditions, the vessels have been permitted to operate crossing the bay until 31 March. After taking the decision, the number of vessels available has already risen, and within one or two days there will be no crisis." 

Vessel shortage disrupts cargo offloading

Chattogram Port's outer anchorage serves as the primary hub for offloading millions of tonnes of imported goods. Around 1,800 lighter vessels are responsible for transporting these goods to 16 designated docks on the Karnaphuli River and 60 destinations nationwide. However, in recent days, the demand for lighter vessels has exceeded availability, leading to delays in cargo unloading and longer waiting periods for mother vessels.

Import agents have raised concerns over the bottleneck, stating that instead of the usual 3-4 vessels per mother vessel, only one or two vessels are being allocated, reducing cargo handling efficiency by nearly 50%. If this situation persists, it could lead to further congestion, with millions of dollars in demurrage costs and potential damage to the port's reputation in the global shipping industry.

Allegations of cargo hoarding

Officials from the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC), which regulates most lighter vessels at Chattogram Port, have alleged that hundreds of lighter ships have been turned into floating warehouses by unscrupulous traders. Even after cargo is offloaded from mother vessels, these goods remain stored in lighter vessels instead of being delivered to shore, artificially creating a vessel shortage.

To address this issue, the Shipping Department held an emergency meeting with ship owners and importers, resulting in strict measures, including mobile courts imposing fines on vessels engaged in illegal hoarding, issuing orders for immediate cargo unloading from vessels being used as storage units, and granting temporary bay crossing permission to 35 additional lighter ships.

BWTCC Chief Executive Major (retd) GM Khan welcomed the move, saying, "The DG Shipping has taken some important measures. We expect to see positive results within a week. The temporary bay crossing permission for 35 vessels will ease the current vessel shortage and ensure a smooth supply chain during Ramadan."

As of Sunday, 34 mother vessels were anchored at the outer port, with 61 lighter vessels allocated to manage the cargo load. Authorities remain hopeful that these initiatives will stabilise the port's operations and prevent further shipping delays.