The shipment of containers had remained suspended through Chittagong port for five days from Friday to Tuesday, due to a countrywide internet connection cut, and enforcement of curfew to calm student protest seeking public sector job quota reform.
Some 200 people reportedly died across Bangladesh during the last week as they clashed with police to press home their demand. They burnt vehicles and blocked highways barring the movement of vehicles towards ports thus trucks could not reach to the depots carrying cargoes.
Factory owners were forced to shut operations from Saturday after the government enforced curfew asking all to stay home. Army personnel paraded on the roads while armoured vehicles were found running creating panic among the people across the country.
Shipment of outbound containers and delivery of boxes from the port began on Tuesday (23 July) night after the government restored internet connection on a limited scale only at offices, ports, and emergency services.
Curfew has also been lifted on Wednesday for five hours a day that helped to open private and public offices and factories.
Chittagong Port Authority spokesperson Omar Faruk said from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning they could deliver some 2,500 TEUs from the port yard as customs assessment begun following restoration of internet connection. He noted that 41,459 TEUs of containers were lying at the port yard on Wednesday morning.
Faruk was hopeful of deliver 3,500 more on Wednesday to lessen congestion at the port yard as unloading containers from ship to the port yard has become difficult due to space shortage.
Ruhul Amin Sikder (Biplob), Secretary General, Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), said some 8,000 TEUs of good laden containers could not be shipped during the last couple of days due to suspension of customs procedure and as trucks could not be reached to the depots from factories.
He added that currently, around 5,000 TEUs of goods laden outbound containers have been lying at the 19 depots in Chittagong port.
According to port sources, 10 container vessels have been waiting at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong port.
Sharar Nayel
Asia Correspondent
