Lightering vessel shortage halts goods unloading at Bangladesh port

As more than 85 ships are waiting at deep sea with around 4 million tonnes of goods, authorities are concerned over supply of essential commodities ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

This has led to fears of shortages and price hike during Ramadan.

A shortage of lightering vessels has halted unloading of goods from large ships at the outer anchorage of Chattogram sea port in Bangladesh.
This has led to fears of shortages and price hike during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The crisis is being widely believed to be artificial created and attributed to mismanagement and misuse of ships rather than a shortage of lightering vessels.

As of January 15, 108 cargo ships were waiting at the outer anchorage and Kutubdia channel of Chattogram port, according to domestic media outlets. These ships were carrying over 4.5 million tonnes of goods.

The Ship Handling Operators and Berth Operators Association (BSHBOA) reported that each mother vessel at the outer anchorage is incurring an average demurrage of Taka 1.6 million every day.

While a mother vessel with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes can transfer goods to river ports and terminals using lightering vessels within seven to 10 days, this time has now increased to 20-30 days.

The crisis is being widely believed to be artificial created and attributed to mismanagement and misuse of ships rather than a shortage of lightering vessels.

BSHBPA president Sarwar Hossain Sagar said the lack of available lighter ships has significantly disrupted the flow of goods. While 200-300 lighter ships are needed daily for normal operations, only 30-40 are currently available, causing a near standstill in unloading activities.

Operators have called for abolishing the serial system of ships and the implementation of an open system to effectively address the crisis.

Fibre2Fashion (DS)