Delivery from Chattogram port resumes after 24 hours

Delivery of goods to and from the country's premier port Chattogram has resumed after 24 hours as the truckers called off their strike early today.

Following the countrywide strike of Bangladesh Truck Covered-Van Owners Workers Oikya Parishad, transport of goods by truck, covered van and lorry came to a standstill at Chattogram port from 6am on Wednesday to 6am on Thursday. 

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) said the truckers called off their strike following a meeting with the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.

Around 90 percent export-import trade take place at the port. The port handle around three millions TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) export and import containers.  

Port sources said 5,000 trucks, covered vans and lorries enter the port for goods delivery and shipment every day.

Maj Rezaul Haque, director security of the port authority, told The Business Standard, "Though the strike has been called off at around 2am, the delivery of goods to and from port resumed in full swing since morning." 

BICDA Secretary Ruhul Amin Shikder said, "Everyday, 1,800-2,000 export containers enter the port from the inland container depot. Also, 1,000 import containers go to the inland depot from the port, and 1,700 vacant containers are moved from the port to the inland depot.  The strike halted the activities." 

Bangladesh Truck Covered-Van Owners Workers Oikya Parishad, the platform for cargo transport owners and workers, said the strike is to press home its nine-point demand for amending the Road Transport Act 2018.

Vehicular movement resumes 

Following the call off of the strike by the Bangladesh Truck Covered-Van Owners Workers Oikya Parishad, the vehicular movement came back to its normal state. The long distance buses started moving from Chattogram to Dhaka, Noakhali, Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khargachhari. 

In the port city, the public transports were seen as usual in the morning.