Ctg port choked by Kamalapur ICD-bound containers

The Chattogram Port is now facing a congestion of containers bound for Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD) because of the suspension of transport through railway wagons since July 18 for countrywide violence and curfew centring the government job quota reform movement.

The port's yard is currently grappling with 2,346 TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent units) of Kamalapur ICD-bound containers, much higher from its capacity of 876 TEUs, the port officials said.

The congestion is not only causing financial losses for the importers, but also disrupting the port's regular operations, they said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Railway began transport through railway wagons on a limited scale on August 2, but the port authorities and importers said this would not be enough to ease the congestion.

On the same day, the port authorities wrote a letter to the railway authorities with the request to increase the number of wagons and ensure container transport under police protocol, Chattogram Port Secretary Omar Farque told The Daily Star.

Demands were also placed to make sure at least 200 TEUs of containers—up from the existing 80-100 TEUs—are transported daily from the port, the number of railway engines are increased and wagons designed for transporting containers are added.

The containers destined for Dhaka ICD are first stored at the port's ICD yard before being transported to the Kamalapur ICD by railway wagons, the letter read.

It is impossible now to bring new containers to the port because of the yard's limited storage capacity, it said.

"Wagon services commenced on a limited scale last Friday and we are now working to expand them gradually. I am hopeful that this situation will improve within a few days," said Shahidul Islam, chief operating superintendent of Bangladesh Railway (east).