Chtg Port: Ships turn around time increases to six days

Chittagong: The prevailing congestion in the Chittagong Port is likely to become more acute due to the 36-hour continuous hartal of the Awami league-led opposition combine. The resultant situation is likely to prompt feeder operators to increase congestion surcharges.

According to CPA sources, a total of 16,929 TEUs of containers are now stockpiled in the CPA shed against the storage capacity of 12,394 TEUs.

Moreover, of the total 74 ships, loading and unloading is going on in 36 only. The rest 38 ships are waiting at the Outer Anchorage of the port.

Of the 36 ships, five are container vessels. Of the 38 waiting at the Outer Anchorage, 16 are container vessels.

CPA sources said, arrival of ships at the Chittagong Port increased remarkably in the recent days. As a result, the turn around time of the ships in the Chittagong Port has increased by two more days.

Chairman of the CPA AMM Shahadat Hussain said the turn around time has now increased to six days. Earlier, the turn around time was four days. Sources said that during the 36-hour hartal of the AL-led Opposition combine beginning from 6 tomorrow (Tuesday) morning delivery of cargo would remain suspended further deepening the prevailing crisis.

The port users and the CPA sources apprehend that this would cripple the normal operation of the Chittagong Port.

It may be mentioned that the Chittagong feeder vessel operators had imposed congestion surcharges on Chittagong-bound containers since June 5 costing the Bangladesh maritime trade Tk 60 crore a month.

The Singapore-based Feeder Operators and the Main Line Operators had imposed congestion surcharges at the rate of 130 US dollars per 20-foot and 260 US dollars per 40-foot containers in view of the congestion in the Chittagong Port. The feeder operators' sources said, they would review their decision if the situation of the Chittagong Port improves within a month.

Engr. S K Ghosh, representative of the Feeder operators apprehended that the situation of the Chittagong Port had been deepened further. So he said the congestion due to hartal would prompt the feeder operators to impose further surcharges, he said.

The existing rate of freight of 40-foot containers is 350 to 380 US dollars. On the existing rate additional 260 US dollars have been added in the name of congestion surcharges.

It may be mentioned that 49 container vessels of 14 operators are engaged in freight handling in Chittagong Port on Chittagong-Singapore route.