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The Shippers' Council of Bangladesh (SCB) appealed to all quarters to keep the sea ports out of the purview of hartal to facilitate the country's import and export.
In a statement Saturday, SCB senior vice-chairman Syed Neaz Ahmed said the Chittagong Port has been facing a huge congestion of containers due mainly to continuous hartal. If hartal programme continues, it will seriously affect the operation of the port that shares 80 per cent of the country's import and export, he added.
He said shortage of modern handling equipment at the port delays loading and unloading of cargoes. To ease the congestion of containers, the port authority should buy gantry crane that can help in stacking containers in 3/4 tires, he added.
He suggested diverting of some feeder vessels to Mongla Port from Chittagong to ease the congestion of containers.
Neaz Ahmed thanked the shipping minister and the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) for introducing one-stop service and taking steps to keep the port operation open for 24-hour on holidays to clear congestion.
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