Chittagong is clogged by floods, with imports and exports paralysed
Recently, according to the Bangladeshi media reported that the country due to continuous monsoon rains and swollen rivers caused floods have killed at least 23 people and affected more than 5.5 million people, in addition, the floods also caused the Dhaka-Chittagong highway loaded with goods import and export trucks and other vehicles severely disrupted the passage.
In the past few days, container throughput at Chittagong and inland container depots has dropped sharply, while the number of trucks carrying export cargoes at these depots has also decreased significantly, port department officials said.
Ruhul Amin Sikder (Biplob), secretary general of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association, said on Monday that the 19 depots had received only 1,124 trucks loaded with export cargoes, It normally receives about 3,500 trucks a day.
In addition, only 393 TEUs of imported goods were shipped out of the warehouse that day, as importers were reluctant to accept goods amid the floods. At present, the packing capacity of export goods is 8290 TEU, the loading capacity of imported goods is 8643 TEU, and the empty container capacity is 499,924 TEU.
"We don't have enough export cargo transport trucks," Biplob said, adding that currently they are transporting goods to the port from previous stocks.
On Sunday, only 1,647 import containers were shipped out of Chittagong, almost a third of the usual number. On that day, about 38,000 TEUs of containers were stacked in the port yard, 16 ships were waiting in the outer anchorage, and 11 ships were loading and unloading boxes at the port terminal.
With rail lines flooded in many places, railway authorities suspended train operations last Thursday, which further reduced the delivery situation. As a result, the port authorities allow importers to transport train and road-designated boxes from Chittagong to the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Dhaka by water.
An official from the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BFFA) said there were no obstacles to moving goods between the port and the warehouse.
"But because of highway congestion, export goods cannot reach warehouses, and they are usually crammed into boxes waiting for transport," he said.
Chaudhry Zafar Ahmed, secretary general of the Association of Truck and Covered Van Owners, said about 3,500 trucks and covered vans were still stuck on their way to Dhaka and Chittagong.
Al Nadeem, secretary general of Chittagong prime movers Owners Association, also confirmed that more than 2,000 prime movers were still stuck at different places on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, carrying boxes.
In the past few days, container throughput at Chittagong and inland container depots has dropped sharply, while the number of trucks carrying export cargoes at these depots has also decreased significantly, port department officials said.
Ruhul Amin Sikder (Biplob), secretary general of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association, said on Monday that the 19 depots had received only 1,124 trucks loaded with export cargoes, It normally receives about 3,500 trucks a day.
In addition, only 393 TEUs of imported goods were shipped out of the warehouse that day, as importers were reluctant to accept goods amid the floods. At present, the packing capacity of export goods is 8290 TEU, the loading capacity of imported goods is 8643 TEU, and the empty container capacity is 499,924 TEU.
"We don't have enough export cargo transport trucks," Biplob said, adding that currently they are transporting goods to the port from previous stocks.
On Sunday, only 1,647 import containers were shipped out of Chittagong, almost a third of the usual number. On that day, about 38,000 TEUs of containers were stacked in the port yard, 16 ships were waiting in the outer anchorage, and 11 ships were loading and unloading boxes at the port terminal.
With rail lines flooded in many places, railway authorities suspended train operations last Thursday, which further reduced the delivery situation. As a result, the port authorities allow importers to transport train and road-designated boxes from Chittagong to the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Dhaka by water.
An official from the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BFFA) said there were no obstacles to moving goods between the port and the warehouse.
"But because of highway congestion, export goods cannot reach warehouses, and they are usually crammed into boxes waiting for transport," he said.
Chaudhry Zafar Ahmed, secretary general of the Association of Truck and Covered Van Owners, said about 3,500 trucks and covered vans were still stuck on their way to Dhaka and Chittagong.
Al Nadeem, secretary general of Chittagong prime movers Owners Association, also confirmed that more than 2,000 prime movers were still stuck at different places on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, carrying boxes.
