Vessels are facing unusually long stays at the General Cargo Berth (GCB) terminal of the Chattogram port as berth operators allegedly continue to adopt a go-slow tactic in container handling operations amidst a feud with shipping agents. 

The issue arose earlier this month centring a longstanding conflict between shipping agents, who represent vessel operators, and six berth operators over the latter's proposal to raise onboard container handling charges.

Since 2007, these berth operators have been managing the six container jetties at the GCB, the port's oldest terminal, where geared vessels are handled.

The disruption worsened over the past week, with at least three vessels apparently experiencing delays in the unloading of import-laden containers and loading of export-laden ones.

A Colombo-bound vessel, Xpress Nuptse, carrying 1,198 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of import-laden containers, berthed at Jetty No. 11 of the GCB on January 13.

The disruption worsened over the past week, with at least three vessels apparently experiencing delays in the unloading of import-laden containers and loading of export-laden ones

Md Saiful Islam, head of the Chattogram branch of the ship's local agent Sea Consortium Ltd, said the vessel was scheduled to depart on January 16.

However, the unloading of its import-laden containers took four days and the task was completed on January 17.

The vessel is scheduled to carry 1,300 TEUs of export-laden containers to Colombo.

"By Saturday morning, only 947 TEUs had been loaded. If the remaining containers can be loaded overnight, the vessel might depart on Sunday morning, but it will still face a three-day delay," Saiful said.

He added that the vessel was scheduled to reach Colombo by January 20 to connect with a US and UK-bound mother vessel the following day, but it now seems these cargoes would miss the connection.

Similarly, Malaysia-bound Cape Montera, which berthed at Jetty No. 10 on January 14 with 1,422 TEUs of import-laden containers, still had 116 TEUs on board as of Saturday.

It was yet to be loaded with 66 TEUs of export-laden containers.

According to the port sources, the vessel was supposed to depart on January 17.

Both Xpress Nuptse and Cape Montera departed yesterday.

Another vessel, Fitz Roy, which berthed on January 15, departed on Saturday without taking empty containers to avoid further delays.

Shipping agents alleged that berth operators are not providing enough trailers alongside vessels to transport containers between the vessels and the yards, significantly slowing down handling operations.

They also said the operators have stopped their longstanding practice of sending export loading plans to private off-docks, alongside processing import discharge and export permissions from the Chittagong Port Authority's (CPA) shipping section.

As a result, shipping agents' staff are now performing these tasks, leading to further delays.

Shipping agents currently pay berth operators Tk 559.53 per container for onboard handling, including loading and unloading.

The berth operators earlier this month demanded a $5 increase in the onboard handling rate per container, but shipping agents opposed the move.

Fazle Ekram Chowdhury, president of the Berth Operators, Ship-Handling Operators, and Terminal Operators' Owners' Association, said they have not increased the onboard handling rate since 2007.

But rising operational costs have made it impossible to continue at the previous rate, he said.

Denying the allegation of slowing down operations, Chowdhury claimed they were handling containers at the usual pace.

Leaders of Bangladesh Container Shipping Association (BCSA) met with senior port officials on January 15 to express their concerns over the slowdown in operations at the GCB.

The port officials called on the leaders of the berth operators association at that meeting, where berth operators urged for raising the onboard handling rate.

However, the BCSA leaders refused to discuss the issue at the meeting, saying that the issue was not included in the meeting's agenda.

Chittagong Port Authority Secretary and Spokesperson Md Omar Faruk is currently abroad and could not be reached for comment.