Due to a strike by some transport owners who are opposing the increase in port entry fees, export container transportation from a number of inland container depots (ICDs) to Chattogram port has been suspended since this afternoon.
Due to this disturbance, it is feared that some 100 TEU export containers may miss exports via four ships that are expected to depart the port early tomorrow morning.
Since 3 pm, transport owners have been preventing vehicles from entering the port through the CPAR and CCT-2 gates.
Around 10 pm, agitated proprietors began permitting vehicles to enter through the CCT-2 Gate, while CPA security officers attempted to negotiate with them regarding admission through the other gate (CPAR), Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Md. Omar Faruk told The Daily Star.
The updated tariff schedule, which went into effect on Wednesday, 15th October, at 12:01 am, caused CPA to raise all vehicle and individual entry costs.
Heavy vehicles such as trucks, covered vans and prime mover trailers now have to pay an admission charge of Taka 230 per vehicle instead of Taka 57.50, which is a 300% increase.
General Secretary of Chattogram Prime Mover Owners Association, Mohammad Hossain, told The Daily Star on Wednesday that the rise is very high and they will not operate vehicles if the hike is not revoked.
A lengthy line was formed by a group of owners who began to oppose prime movers arriving from various depots with export containers close to the port’s CPAR and CCT-2 gates.
Through these two gates, export containers transporting automobiles from 14 of the 20 private ICDs are allowed access.
Hasan Mahmud, Joint S ecretary of the Chattogram Prime Mover Workers Union, stated that the strike is not supported by his organisation. He added that the prime mover trailers that come from the ICDs are not owned by these proprietors.
As per ICD owners, they sent their vehicles with additional fees but those were obstructed by some transport owner leaders.
At least 30 TEUs of export containers from Nemson Container Ltd., an ICD in Sitakunda, were in line till 10:30 pm, according to AKM Abdul Hadi, Operating Manager.
