Leaders of the Chittagong region of the garment owners' organization BGMEA exchanged views with Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Real Admiral SM Moniruzzaman.
The exchange meeting held at the Chittagong Port Chairman's office on Thursday was led by BGMEA First Vice President Selim Rahman.
He said that the continuous efforts of the Chittagong Port Authority to ensure the speedy discharge of garment industry shipments and export within the stipulated lead time of the buyer are commendable.
We also strongly demand the collection of 4 times the storage rent on imported FCL containers, the increase in tariff by up to 40 percent by the Chittagong Port Authority, the delay in ship berthing, the ongoing problems of the Patenga Container Terminal, the delay in unloading of LCL goods, the shortage of handling equipment in the yard, the implementation of the Bay Terminal construction project and the launch of a one-stop service cell by the Chittagong Port Authority.
BGMEA Vice President Mohammad Rafiq Chowdhury said that Mayasark Line Bangladesh Limited is bringing about four ships every month, which takes double the time to unstaff its LCL containers. As a result, there is disruption in export shipping on time, fear of air shipments and additional costs.
BGMEA Director Mohammad Abdus Salam said that he thanked and expressed gratitude to the Port Authority for not having any untoward incident at the Chittagong Port due to its close monitoring and important steps taken even during the difficult times after August 5, 2024.
Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Real Admiral SM Moniruzzaman congratulated the BGMEA First Vice-President and the Board of Directors.
He said that the garment industry is playing a very important role in the economy of Bangladesh. In order to continue export growth, the Port Authority is carrying out import-export related activities rapidly despite various limitations. He outlined various plans to increase the capacity of the port, including port infrastructure development, digitalization, and cyber security. He sought the cooperation of all stakeholders including BGMEA for this purpose.
At that time, BGMEA Directors Sakif Ahmed Salam, Saif Ullah Mansur, Enamul Aziz Chowdhury, former Director and Advisor on Customs Affairs AM Mahabub Chowdhury, Co-Chairman of the Standing Committee on Port Affairs Ryan Shams and senior BGMEA officials, on behalf of the Chittagong Port Authority - Member (Harbor and Marine) Captain Ahmed Amin Abdullah, Secretary Md. Omar Faruk, Director of Transport Enamul Karim and senior officials were present.
