EXPORT BACKLOG

Staff Correspondent, Chattogram

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The leaders of various industry associations yesterday sat with relevant stakeholders to find a solution to the acute backlog of export cargoes prevailing at different private inland container depots (ICDs) due to shipment delays through Chattogram port.

Representatives of major export sectors, such as garments and leather goods, were present at the meeting, also attended by the association leaders of freight forwarders, shipping agents and buying houses.

Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told The Daily Star that there is a huge quantity of export cargo stuck at the ICDs as they were not shipped on time due to an acute shortage of 40-foot containers.

The attendees discussed a few solutions to the problem, such as increasing the number of feeder vessels on the routes from the Chattogram port to international transhipment points so that more import and export containers could be emptied on time.

The BGMEA chief said that top leaders of various industry associations would widely discuss the issues during a meeting with the shipping secretary at his office today.