First 8-metre draught vessel anchors at Mongla Port
A ship with a draught of 8 metres anchored on Monday at the Mongla Port following dredging, becoming the first of its size.
The ship, MCC Tokyo, with the ensign of Panama, moored at jetty number five of the port carrying 377 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers on Monday noon, Mongla Port Authority Member (harbour and marine) Commodore Mohammad Abdul Wadud Tarafder said.
It was the first ship of its size to anchor at the port.
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"It has been possible due to dredging. The consignment will be unloaded from the ship within 48 hours," Commodore Abdul Wadud said.
The ship will leave the port after reloading goods, he said, adding that it was a trial run showing that other ships with 8 metre drafts can also anchor at the port.
Port sources said that ships with 7 to 7.5-metre draught could not anchor at the jetties due to low navigability. All the big cargo ships used to moor in the middle of Pasur river. Goods from the ships were also unloaded there.
The port authorities started dredging of the river in the face of demand from the port users.
SM Moshtaq Mithu, a port user, told The Business Standard that activities have increased at the port as a blessing of the Padma Bridge.
The port has got momentum due to the dredging at the jetty area. More ships will come to the port if the trend continues and businesses will be benefited too, he said.
