Heavy rain disrupts Chattogram port, trade movement

Heavy rain and rough seas disrupted cargo handling at Chattogram Port for a third consecutive day yesterday, leaving more than 55 mother vessels idle at the outer anchorage and slowing container delivery.

Port officials, exporters and traders said waterlogging inside the port, at private inland container depots and across the city also affected RMG shipments, factory attendance and wholesale trade in Khatunganj.

In Chattogram, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department's Patenga weather station recorded 214.4mm of rainfall in the 24 hours till 3pm yesterday (9 July).

Port deliveries slow

Port officials said unloading from mother vessels at the outer anchorage remained suspended for most of the day as rough seas made lighterage operations unsafe, especially for rain-sensitive cargo such as food grains and fertiliser.

Although unloading briefly resumed on a few scrap-carrying vessels after around 10:30am, operations were halted again when heavy rain intensified.

CPA Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim said the disruption at the outer anchorage was mainly limited to weather-sensitive cargo.

"Cargo such as food grains and fertiliser cannot be transferred safely during heavy rainfall because there is a high risk of damage. However, unloading of weather-resistant cargo such as edible oil, fuel oil and stone chips continues whenever rainfall subsides and sea conditions permit," he told The Business Standard.

He said the port authorities were monitoring the weather to keep operations safe.

Low-lying areas inside the terminal, particularly around the General Cargo Berth and Gate No 4, were inundated, slowing vessel operations, cargo delivery and trailer movement, port officials said.

While container handling at the jetties continued, delivery operations were affected by flooding inside the port and across the city.

Port data show that under normal conditions, more than 3,500 TEUs are delivered daily. Over the past two days, deliveries fell to around 2,400 TEUs as trucks struggled to move through waterlogged roads.

RMG exporters count losses 

The adverse weather also hit the apparel sector, with flooded private depots damaging export cargo and waterlogged roads preventing workers from reaching factories.

SM Abu Tayyab, a BGMEA director and managing director of Independent Apparels, said several off-dock container yards had experienced waterlogging, while some export cargo had become wet.

"In some cases, factories had to replace wet cartons before stuffing containers again," he said.

He said rainfall also reduced factory attendance as many workers could not reach workplaces through waterlogged roads, forcing some factories to suspend production temporarily.

Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA) Secretary General Ruhul Amin Sikdar said continuous heavy rain caused waterlogging at several private depots and slowed cargo handling.

"We operate around the clock. Whenever it rains, work has to stop. As soon as the rain eases, operations resume. But overall, the continuous rainfall has significantly disrupted the handling process," he said.

Former Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association vice-president Khairul Alam Suzan said many mother vessels remained idle at the outer anchorage because cargo could not be transferred to lighter vessels.

"As a result, importers are not receiving their goods on schedule and delivery commitments cannot be met," he said.

Former Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association president Syed Mohammad Arif Hossain said most vessels at the outer anchorage had remained idle over the past several days.

He said each vessel carries a demurrage clause, with costs ranging from $20,000 to $30,000 a day depending on the ship, adding that delayed cargo delivery was affecting importers and the wider logistics chain.

Khatunganj trade stalls

Business activity in Khatunganj, Chaktai and Asadganj also slowed sharply as waterlogging disrupted transport and customer movement.

Mohammad Aminur Rahman, general secretary of the Khatunganj Trade and Industries Association, said daily transactions usually reach Tk150-200 crore, but trading had fallen by around 95% over the past four days.

He said Khatunganj itself was not inundated as before because of improved water control measures, but citywide waterlogging had broken transport links. At the same time, unloading at the port's outer anchorage and truck loading and unloading activities were also disrupted.

Spice trader Mohammad Jasim Uddin said shops remained open, but there were hardly any customers.

"Some trucks are waiting with goods, but unloading is impossible because of the rain," he said.