Director general of the department, Shafiqullah, will be back from his visit to the UK today and will preside over the meeting on Monday, sources said.

The high powered meeting will be attended by representatives from the navy, coast guard, police, intelligence agencies, customs department and the ministry of shipping. Usually the committee meets every two months but the emergency meeting was called following deterioration of law and order situation in the country.

The meeting will decide whether the security level under the ISPS code should be raised to prevent possible subversive activities in the shipping sector. Security was raised from level one to two following the countrywide series of bomb blasts on August 17.

One of the two entrances to the Chittagong port building has been closed and people are going through close scrutiny before entering the port building.

Entry of people and vehicles to the jetty has also been restricted. But the 17km long port channel remains unguarded as only two patrol boats are not enough to keep round the clock watch on the channel.

There are also other important installations on both sides of the river Karnaphuli.

The Mongla port authorities also took extra security measures.

But after the recent suicide attacks on Tuesday and Thursday, the security level was not raised due to absence of the director general and for failure to realise the gravity of the situation on the part of those who were in charge, sources said.

Loading and unloading at the seaports continued during yesterday's hartal hours but the loaded trucks did not leave the jetty.