HC stays 41% increased tariff at Chattogram Port for one month
The court also issued a rule asking why the newly imposed tariff should not be permanently cancelled.
The High Court today (9 November) stayed for one month the 41% increased tariff imposed by the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA).
The court also issued a rule asking why the newly imposed tariff should not be permanently cancelled.
The bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua passed the order after a preliminary hearing on a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Maritime Law Society (BMLS).
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The court directed the shipping secretary, the chairman of the Chattogram Port Authority, and other relevant officials to implement the order and submit their replies to the rule within four weeks.
The CPA enforced the increased tariff across various service sectors from midnight on 14 October — the first tariff hike since 1986. Port users had been demanding suspension of the new tariff since its announcement.
Earlier, BMLS President Mohiuddin Abdul Kadir had served a legal notice to the secretaries of three ministries and the CPA chairman, seeking suspension of the increased tariff.
The notice stated that the average charge per 20-foot container had been raised from Tk11,849 to Tk16,243, increasing costs by Tk5,720 for import containers and Tk3,045 for export containers. Moreover, the per-unit charge for loading and unloading containers from ships was hiked from $43.40 to $68.
The BMLS argued that since the tariff was fixed in US dollars, any depreciation of the taka against the dollar would further escalate expenses. The resulting cost surge, they warned, would affect import-export trade, essential commodity supply, industrial raw materials, production costs, and inflation.
The organisation also alleged that none of the consulting firms involved in determining the tariff had expertise in port management or the maritime sector. The process of hiring consultants lacked transparency and procedural legality, they claimed.
The notice further pointed out that, under Section 33(5) of the Port Act 1908, new tariffs cannot take effect within 60 days of being published in the gazette. However, the tariff announced in the SRO on 14 September was enforced from 14 October — an action deemed unlawful and invalid by the BMLS.
The society and other stakeholders demanded that the implementation of the tariff be suspended and a joint consultation committee be formed with stakeholders to review the decision.
They also noted that while the government's diplomatic success over the Trump tariffs in the US had provided relief to exporters, raising tariffs domestically would be a self-defeating move.
The organisation warned that if the decision was not withdrawn within 72 hours, they would move to court to protect the national economy and public interest. Receiving no response, the BMLS eventually filed a writ petition with the High Court last week.
