Operations at Bangladesh’s main maritime gateway, Chattogram Port, remained paralyzed yesterday. The ongoing work stoppage has brought movement to a crawl, and the export sector is taking the hardest hit.
The impact of these daily eight-hour suspensions is visible at the Inland Container Depots (ICDs).
- Before Protests: ~8,000 export containers waiting.
- Monday Afternoon: Over 10,000 containers waiting.
With vessels facing longer stays at the jetties, shipping agents are warning that departure schedules are unraveling.
The friction stems from a specific government decision: leasing the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to the UAE-based operator DP World.
Operating under the banner of the Chattogram Bandar Rakkha Sangram Parishad, workers argue this move threatens their interests. Tensions escalated recently after the Ministry of Shipping transferred several protest leaders. Organizers view these transfers as an intimidation tactic and have threatened tougher actions if the lease decision isn’t withdrawn.
The Economic Fallout The timing couldn’t be worse.
Port users are cautioning that if this disruption drags on, the delay in clearing imports could spike commodity prices right before the holy month of Ramadan.