Container transportation resumes from Chattogram Port after six hours

Transportation of cargo laden containers from Chattogram Port resumed at 9 pm after a six-hour halt. Cargo transportation resumed after an agreement was reached during a meeting between the protesting transport workers and the chairman of Chattogram Port. The development brought relief to importers and exporters.

Transport workers had stopped the delivery of all cargo laden containers from Chattogram Port from 3 pm Monday following the assault of a worker of a cargo trailer. The movement of covered vans carrying goods was also halted during this time. As a result, both cargo delivery from the port and the shipment of export goods were disrupted.

Port security department officials first held a meeting with the transport workers. The meeting failed. The workers then held a meeting with Chattogram Port Chairman Rear Admiral S.M. Moniruzzaman. Delivery operations resumed after the two sides reached an agreement.

The director and deputy director of the Chattogram Port Security Department were called numerous times but did not respond. Therefore, their comments could not be obtained.

Later, two traffic inspectors from the port’s own security force working at the GCB and NCT gates of Chattogram Port confirmed that container delivery operations had resumed. Abul Khair, general secretary of the protesting Prime Movers Trailer Workers Union, did not answer phone calls. Therefore, it could not be learned on what terms the workers returned to work.

Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), said export containers had started entering the port from depots at 9 pm.

According to the workers’ allegations, an argument followed by a scuffle took place between the treasurer of the Trailer Workers Association and a security worker stationed at the port gate over the issuance of entry passes through the port gate. Following the incident, transport workers stopped transporting goods in trailer containers.