The country’s main sea port Chattogram has decided to close its operations only for one shift during Eid day instead of four shifts.
The port usually remains shut for all the four shifts during Eid vacations. Labourers stop working after seeing the moon and then come back to the office in the morning shift after the Eid day.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has requested all stakeholders to make the move a success.
The authority also sat with all major stakeholders recently.
The CPA has sent letters asking cooperation on the move from the BGMEA,
shipping agents, freight forwarders, customs clearing and forwarding agents, private depots and chamber bodies.
The main objective of the move is to keep the main port congestion free and to stabilise the market of essential goods after the Eid.
“Actually the port will remain shut only from 8:00 am in the morning to 4:00 pm in the afternoon on the Eid day,” said an official at the traffic department of the port.
He said this would help avoid congestion at the port.
The port has been experiencing a severe vessel and container congestion in recent weeks due to the slow delivery of goods surfaced because of the ongoing lockdown.
But some stakeholders said that labourers were very much important to keep the port functional; during the Eid day, they avoid work.
The labourers actually get very limited holidays as the port activities remain functional round-the-clock -they only enjoy holidays on May Day, two Eid festivals and Shab-e-Barat.
If there are no labourers on the Eid day, keeping open the port will not bring any result, added the official of the port’s traffic department.
Source: Financial Express
