Representatives of the feeder vessel operators have agreed to withdraw and refund the congestion surcharges, Commerce Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed said after the four-hour long meeting.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has also agreed to withdraw its cases against the Chittagong Feeder Trade Committee (CFTC), he added.

Local companies QC Shipping Line and HRC Shipping will continue loading and unloading of containers while the Oriental Express Lines, Sea Consortium, and Atlantic Container Line--all overseas companies--will start operation after signing rules of agreement between their chief executives and State Minister for Shipping Quamrul Islam.

All feeder-vessel operating companies, except the HRC Shipping, under the banner of CFTC stopped loading and unloading of containers at Chittagong Port on Saturday following a High Court show-cause notice about imposition of congestion surcharge.

"Gross misunderstanding was there among the stakeholders over imposition and payment of the additional surcharges but the misunderstanding has been resolved now," Hafizuddin said.

All the stakeholders have agreed that any additional charge for transporting freights will be paid by the service providers, not the exporters or importers, he added.

The misunderstanding arose when the CFTC imposed $130 for each twenty-equivalent-unit container as congestion surcharge from June 5 and realised around Tk 210 crore.

The BGMEA termed this "irrational" and sought refund of the money. It filed a writ against imposition of the surcharge on June 9 and a contempt petition on August 31.

Meanwhile, sources said a huge congestion will occur at the Chittagong Port as the overseas operators, who ship around 65 per cent containers, will continue suspension of loading and unloading containers until Tuesday.

Sources said a total of ten container vessels were berthing at different jetties of Chittagong Port while four departed with exported goods and four others took berthing at the port yesterday. Another five vessels were in the outer anchorage waiting for berthing.

Around 2,000 containers loaded with mainly readymade garments have stockpiled at the Chittagong Port during the last two days, port sources said.

Around 1,100 twenty-equivalent-unit containers usually leave for Singapore through five feeder vessel operators to join the Main Line Operators to reach destinations in Europe and America.

Around 35 feeder vessels--of them 20 owned by the three foreign companies--carry around eight lakh containers to and from Chittagong Port.