Own Correspondent: Influential circles have protested the move of enlisting operators without tender for cargo handling at the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port. It is said that 70 to 80 organizations have applied for berth handling. But the Bangladesh Ship Handling and Berth Operators Association has complained that the names of 10 to 12 companies have been sent to the ministry for listing without tenders by the influential circles. According to the association, there is a danger of instability in Chittagong Port if berth operators are listed in this unethical way.
At present, 32 companies are engaged in Chittagong Port. Among them, five major companies handle 60 percent of their own products by direct handling from the mother vessel at the outer anchorage, while the rest of the products are handled by the currently engaged operators through rotation.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the organization AKM Shamsuzzaman Russell said in a statement sent to the media that the Chittagong Port Authority has irregularly followed the Regulations for Working of Chittagong Port (Cargo and Container) 2001 for the handling of domestic and foreign ships arriving at Kutubdia outer anchorage and other specialized jetties. And is going to convene a board meeting to list new ship handling operators without a tender. While many stevedoring companies have failed to register as ship handling operators despite being experienced and skilled in Chittagong port operations for a long time, As per amended SRO No. 266-AIN/2007, dated November 27, 2007, Regulations for Working of Chittagong Port (Cargo and Container) 2001, the stevedoring system has been abolished. There, it is highly unreasonable and illegal to enlist and appoint ship handling operators without a tender for work at Kutubdia, the outer anchorage, and other specialized jetties.
