Chattogram ship owners settle lighterage vessel dispute
Three ship owners’ associations agree on forming a new governing body dissolving old ones
A tripartite meeting between ship owner associations and government officials in Chattogram resolved a dispute regarding lighterage ships operating out of Chittagong Port.
To address the instability caused by the disagreement, the existing Water Transport Cell (WTC) will be dissolved and replaced with the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell.
This new cell will oversee lighterage ship operations starting 23 April.
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Industry insiders predict the move will end the instability that has plagued the waterborne transportation sector for the past three months.
Lighterage ships play a crucial role in unloading cargo from bulk carriers and delivering goods to various destinations within Bangladesh.
Previously, the WTC -formed between the Cargo Vessel Owners' Association, Coastal Ship Owners Association of Bangladesh and the Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chittagong in 2003-, facilitated ship allocation.
However, the inland vessel owners association alleged irregularities and withdrew from the agency in December, forming a separate cell.
Inland Vessel Owners Association spokesperson Parvez Ahmed confirmed a consensus had been reached on Tuesday, prioritising the smooth running of water transportation.
They will determine the structure and work plan for the coordination cell while finalising a new policy in the interim. Until 23 April, Inland vessel owners will continue allocating ships based on their serial system.
Director General Department of Shipping Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam told TBS, that according to the International Ship and Port Facility Security code, monitoring any kind of piracy or trafficking outside the port is their responsibility.
He highlighted the importance of a controlled system, preventing chaos and ensuring profitability for all stakeholders.
Former director general of shipping and Bangladesh project lead of Maritime Anti-Corruption Network, Commodore (Retd) Syed Ariful Islam, stated that the cell primarily operates like a government-controlled non-governmental transport pool.
He stressed the need for an effective system to prevent uncontrolled operations and safeguard the industry.
Nurul Haque, representing the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association, acknowledged that previously, ships operated based on the Mercantile Marine Office serial numbers as per Department of Shipping guidelines. The tripartite meeting served as a platform to resolve the recent crisis.
It is important to note that while the ownership structure of the industry group is changing, the approximately 2,000 individual owners of lighterage ships will continue to operate under the BWTCC.
Former Chattogram City Corporation chairman AJM Nasir Uddin and Mercantile Marine Office leaders among others also attended the meeting.
