 | Feeder vessels stop loading: Export, import face severe setback
02 September, 2006
Foreign feeder vessels operators have suddenly stopped loading of export and import items to and from Bangladesh both in Singapore and Bangladeshi seaports yesterday, a day before the beginning of their planned strike on the Bangladesh-Singapore shipping route from today.
The country's export and import trade may come to a halt today if the shippers continue with their programme, leaders of the business community apprehended last evening.
The Chittagong Feeder Trade Committee (CFTC) yesterday threatened to halt operating feeder vessels on the Bangladesh-Singapore shipping route from today in protest against the withdrawal of an additional surcharge following a court order.
Worried over the planned action by the shippers, exporters, especially the BGMEA, termed the strike "illogical" and called for urgent step to avert the shipping suspension in the prime season of garment export. The strike decision was taken in a meeting of the CFTC held on Friday evening.
The CFTC, an organisation of ship owners whose vessels ply the Chittagong-Singapore route, had imposed in June this year an additional surcharge of US $130 on per 20-foot container and US $260 on a 40-foot one for delays in unloading cargo containers.
The High Court, following a writ petition filed by the port-users' organisations, including the BGMEA and four export-import agencies, ordered five vessel operators to waive the penalty charge.
The vessel operators made an appeal to the Supreme Court. But the Supreme Court upheld the HC judgment.
But, the port-user organisations alleged that the operators, 'violating the HC verdict', continued to realise the fines (additional surcharge).
Bringing the allegation against five operators, Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and other port-users
filed a contempt-of-court case. The operators are Advanced Shipping Lines, Orient Express Shipping Corporation, QC Shipping Ltd, Sea Consortium Ltd, and HRC Ltd.
Release link:http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_30497.shtml
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