Can shipping dept's committee really end disputes among lighter vessel owners?

To resolve the disputes among the lighter vessel owners' associations in Chattogram port centring on the allocation of vessels, the Shipping Department has formed an eight-member working committee that started activities on Monday.

As the committee headed by the principal officer of the Mercantile Marine Office launched its activities, stakeholders fear that it will not be able to mitigate the crisis anytime soon as one of the conflicting associations - the Inland Vessel Owner's Association of Chattogram - is not cooperating with the committee.

Alongside other activities, the committee will handle the allocation of lighter vessels at the port through a serialisation method.

On the first working day, the committee was able to provide serials for only one vessel as the Inland Vessel Owner's Association refrained from getting allocation from the committee for its vessels.

The Principal Officer of Mercantile Marine Office Captain Mohammad Sabbir said, "On Monday, we were able to allocate one lighter vessel. The Inland Vessel Owner's Association of Chattogram did not seek any vessel allocation from us."

"We hope everyone will follow the government's decision. The work of maintaining discipline and monitoring the transportation of goods by sea is continuing."

He warned that there is no scope to ignore the decisions of the committee.

In 2003, the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners' Association, Coastal Ship Owners Association of Bangladesh and Inland Vessel Owner's Association of Chattogram formed the Water Transport Cell for the transportation of goods from the outer anchorage of Chattogram port.

But, in December last year, the Inland Vessel Owner's Association of Chattogram left the joint cell and started allocating ships independently. At present, the association is in control of 300 vessels.

Subsequently, the split led to a dispute among the associations of vessel owners.

Parvez Ahmed, the spokesperson of the Inland Vessel Owner's Association of Chattogram, told The Business Standard, "We are still observing the situation. Some leaders of our organisation are currently staying abroad. So, we have not taken the allotment of ships on Monday."

Meanwhile, the working committee has decided to meet every day at 3pm at its Chattogram office. The vessel owners' associations and cargo agents have to appoint one office assistant each to assist the committee.

Parvez declined to comment on whether the Inland Vessel Owner's Association would attend the committee meeting Tuesday.

Previously, in an effort to solve the crisis regarding the serials of lighter vessels, the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry called a meeting with representatives of all parties on 17 January. The Inland Vessel Owner's Association did not participate in it.