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BSS-20
PORT-VESSELS
Ctg Port handles record 3,807 vessels in 2019
CHATTOGRAM, Jan 2, 2020 (BSS)– Chattogram Port (CP), the country’s gateway of overseas trade, achieved a new record by handling 3,807 vessels in 2019, up by 60 from 3,747 vessels it handled in 2018.
A total of 30 lakh 88 thousand 197 TEUs containers were handled in 2019 while 29 lakh three thousand 996 TEUs containers in 2018.
On the other hand, the port handled 10 crores 30 lakh 77 thousand 735 metric tons cargo in 2019 while 9 crores 63 lakh 11 thousand 224 metric tons in 2018, Secretary of CP Mohammad Omar Faruk told BSS.
Port sources said the container carrier vessels takes berthing in inner berths from outer berth depending on tide and ebb tide of the sea.
Mentionable that bulk cargo vessels are berthed in outer anchorage and the open cargos like rice, wheat, salt, crude oil, cement clinkers and industrial raw materials etc are delivered to the different storages, silos, port sheds through lighter vessels.
President of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Ahsanul Hoque Chowdhury told BSS that if the lightering of bulk cargos are done by large vessels, the handling cost and the stay time of the vessels may be minimized.
In that case the cost of doing business will also be minimized largely. He said if any vessels stay at outer berths more than schedule time, shipping agents are compelled to pay US dollar 10-15 thousand per day.
He hoped that after commissioning of Bay Terminal, large vessels will directly take berth in the terminal without waiting for tide or ebb tide.
He also emphasized on capital dredging in Karnaphuli channel to keep operative of the existing inner berths. Director of Bangladesh Freight Forwarder Association Khairul Alam Sujan told BSS that the size of economic areas of the country is expanding gradually, construction of Bangabandhu Shilpanagar, Padma Bridge, Karnaphuli Tunnel and a number of mega projects are being implemented.
Maximum container handlings are done in New Mooring Container Terminal and Chattogram Container Terminal and the top listed terminal operator Saif Power Tech is conducting these two terminals.
Chief Executive officer of Saif Power Tech Captain Tanveer Hossain told that following the addition of new gantry cranes and container operating equipment’s, loading-unloading process have been accelerated than any periods of earlier.
He said CP sets record of handling a vessel within 47.8 hours in 2019. He further apprised that the average stay of a vessel in the port was 2.6 days which may be lessened in coming days.
Chairman of Chattogram Port Rear Admiral Zulfikar Aziz told journalists that the average stay of a vessel in port lessened comparatively despite the natural calamities and cyclone forecast in 2019.
He further apprised that the constructions of Patenga Container Terminal are progressing fast with capacity of berthing 4 vessels at a time.
He also hoped to start the core construction works of the Bay Terminal this year. The chairman further told that CP is working with the short, middle and long term planning aimed at minimizing the cost of doing business policy of the government, trade facilitation, attractions of foreign investment, uninterrupted productions and supply chain.
BSS/MAM/KS/SMM/1700 HRS