Shipping dept calls owners to sit for solution today

The Department of Shipping (DoS) has called a meeting at its Dhaka office today in the afternoon for lighter vessel owners to sit and fix a rift in a platform which coordinates the renting out of the vessels in rotation.

Water Transport Cell (WTC) is the "only recognised and legal organisation" for the chartering, said DoS Director General (DG) Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam in a notification on Thursday.

Any move to bypass the WTC will create disorder and anarchy in goods transportation over waterways, he said, warning of stern action if the disputes were not resolved through discussions.

The meeting was called through a notice on Friday.

Last Tuesday, one of three of the vessel owners' platforms whose representatives make up the WTC broke away and started renting out vessels under their management through their own arrangements.

The three platforms are Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners' Association (BCVOA), Coastal Ship Owners Association of Bangladesh (COAB) and Inland Vessel Owner's Association of Chattogram (IVOAC).

Founded in 2003 and running under its current name since 2009, the WTC says it streamlines cargo transportation services through over 1,300 vessels.

The vessels are used to unload a major portion of imported goods, including industrial raw materials, foodgrain and fertiliser, from mother vessels which have to lessen their load at the outer anchorage to meet the draught limit for entering the Chattogram port.

Having carrying capacities of 1,000 to 2,000 tonnes, these lighter vessels then transport the goods to different destinations around the country over inland waterways.

Last year, they carried over 6.5 lakh tonnes of such cargo.

The IVOAC members are being deprived of their turns at renting out their vessels by the BCVOA members, alleged IVOAC President Haji Shafiq Ahmed.

The BCVOA representatives at the WTC are acting in a biased manner by favouring others, alleged IVOAC Spokesperson Parvez Ahmed, claiming that the IVOAC members had around 250 vessels under their management.

Regarding the shipping department notification, he said the director general "cannot pass such directives" in trade under an open market economy.

Refuting the IVOAC's allegations, BCVOA Convener Nurul Hoque said a number of cargo agents, who also own 70 to 80 vessels, have over Tk 650 crore in arrears over vessels they chartered on behalf of goods importers.

The IVOAC broke away to dodge their dues, he added.

Parvez Ahmed of the IVOAC denied the allegation, saying that making payments in phases was a longstanding and continuous practice in the trade.