Bangladesh News

Trade and commerce continue to suffer seriously as loading-unloading at the outer anchorage of seaports and shipment of goods from river ports remained suspended for the third consecutive day yesterday because of the indefinite strike of water transport workers.

If the strike continues for two or three more days, fuel stock at Meghna Petroleum depots in Khulna will get exhausted and supply to 21 southwest districts will stop, said Meghna Petroleum’s Manager Abul Hossain.

This will put an adverse impact on factory productions, irrigation and transportation.

A few traders in rural areas of Sirajganj have already increased the price of diesel by Tk 1-2 per litre for “short supply”.

Authorities of petroleum depots at Baghabari, however, claimed the supply to have been usual so far.

The countrywide strike has also paralysed waterway communications, causing immense sufferings to passengers.

Representatives of water transport owners and officials of the Directorate of Labour yesterday held a meeting at the directorate, but for no result.

Some 12 oil tankers with 30,000 tonnes of petroleum have remained stranded on the Bhairab river since Tuesday, reports our staff correspondent in Khulna.

Around 30 vessels and barges loaded with fertiliser and fuel reached Baghabari Ghat on Tuesday, but those are yet to be unloaded.

Eighteen cargo vessels with imported food grains, fertiliser, cement clinkers and other goods got stuck at the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port while a foreign ship has been waiting to be loaded on the Pashur river in Mongla.

The strike has also halted trade with India through waterways.

About 1.5 lakh transport workers went on the strike on Tuesday to press home 22-point charter of demands for, among others, a new pay scale that was supposed to be announced in January last year.

Our staff correspondent in Chittagong reports: Imported goods were not unloaded from 18 cargo vessels in the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port yesterday.

“On an average each vessel has to count extra $15,000 a day for overstaying at the port,” said Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Chairman Ahsanul Haq Chowdhury.

This amount will be realised from the importers and then ultimately from the consumers, he said.

Around 350 vessels including 95 loaded with goods have remained stranded at different private jetties between Firingibazar Bridge Ghat and Patenga Ghat-15 and anchored on the Karnaphuli.

Farmers and vehicle owners in Sirajganj are tensed hearing that fuel stocks of Padma, Meghna and Jamuna depots at Baghabari might exhaust in 15-20 days, reports our correspondent.

Farmers alleged that taking advantage of the strike many fuel traders and pump owners have already reduced sales, keeping the stock to create an artificial crisis and sell at higher prices later.

Meanwhile, four government-run steamer launches are operating on Dhaka-Chandpur and Dhaka-Barisal routes, carrying a lot more passengers than their capacity since private vessels are not running.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan yesterday said the government would protect any launch owner willing to resume operation.

Addressing reporters at his Madaripur residence, he asked both water transport workers and owners to be reasonable in solving the existing problems amicably considering the sufferings of passengers.

But Shah Alam, senior vice-president of Noujan Sramik Federation, said they will withdraw the strike after the owners assure them of a new pay scale.

Senior Vice-President of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport (Passenger Carriers) Owners’ Association Badiuzzaman Badal said salaries would be raised only after the strike is withdrawn.