US Coast Guard team satisfied with security arrangements at port: CPA

Visiting Chattogram Port to scrutinise compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code, the two-member US Coast Guard delegation expressed overall satisfaction with security arrangements at the facility, according to the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA). 

CPA Deputy Director (security and operations) Major Md Wahidul Haq said, "They applauded the port authority for managing commercial vessels within its area in the Bay of Bengal with its Vessel Traffic Management System (Vtms), monitoring 95% of port yard space by CCTV cameras, and controlling movement at the port entrances." 

The delegates visited Eastern Refinery Ltd, and Incontrade Limited, a private Inland Container Depot (ICD) on Wednesday.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the team inspected overall activities of the port including at its yard, jetty, container freight stations (CFS), port entrances, and CCTV cameras at the port.

On the day, the team also met with Port Facility Security Officers at the port building. Officials of Summit Alliance Port Ltd (SAPL), South Eastern Tank Terminal Limited, Premier LP Gas Ltd, Meghna Oil Company Ltd, and Eastern Refinery Ltd, attended the meeting.

Chattogram Port Director (Security) Lt Col Mostafa Arif-ur-Rahman Khan told The Business Standard that a delegation of the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) would visit Bangladesh next August. 

Ahead of the ISPS team visit scheduled for August, the two-member team from the US Coast Guard came on an informal visit.

Since 2004, the International Maritime Organisation or IMO, has made it mandatory to implement the ISPS code for security in ports around the world. Chattogram Port is implementing compliance with this code.

ISPS teams have visited Chattogram port six times thus far. The last visit was in August 2019.

During that inspection, the ISPS team gave various instructions including bringing the port area under surveillance by CCTV cameras, removing goods from the port without unpacking them, and establishing traffic control at the port.