ফাইল ছবি
Although the two-day ‘shutdown’ program by customs officials and employees has been withdrawn in Dhaka and other parts of the country, its impact is still being felt at the Chittagong port and depots. Due to the shutdown, around 14,000 export-bound containers have become stuck in Chittagong’s depots. Authorities have not been able to confirm when this mountain of containers can be cleared.
However, customs clearance for exports and some other activities resumed yesterday (Sunday).
Sources at the Chittagong port and related agencies have confirmed that the 14,000 containers will no longer be shipped on time. Most of the stuck cargo reportedly belongs to the garment industry. Business owners stated that none of the delayed goods will now reach the buyers on schedule, resulting in irreversible losses for them.
According to sources, three ships were scheduled to leave the port yesterday, but due to the containers not arriving from the depots, those ships remain docked idly at the jetty.
Officials explained that export goods are first transported from factories to depots, where all necessary procedures are completed before being sent to the port for loading onto ships according to their booking. The two-day shutdown has caused a backlog of container ships at the port.
Additionally, while 13 ships were waiting offshore for berthing before the program, that number rose to 21 by the second day. As a result, the wait time for imported goods will now increase, and overall port operations will face disruption.