The average waiting time for vessels in Chittagong port has risen to seven days after the operator delays berthing amid space shortage, caused in part to COVID-19-linked shutdown.
Some vessels are even waiting for nine days to get berthing.
"The waiting time may reach 10 days soon," feared a representative of a mainline carrier in Dhaka.
As of Thursday, out of 12 container jetties, only five were loading and unloading cargos. Some seven bulk carriers were given berthing in the main jetties.
According to port officials, some 23 container vessels are now waiting in the outer anchorage of the port to get berthing.
Before the shutdown, the vessel waiting time was one to two days, but now it has reached seven days.
KOTA AZAM, a vessel of mainline operator Pacific International Lines, reached the outer bar of Chittagong port on April 5 and is now scheduled to get berthing on April 14. Similarly, OEL HIND, a vessel of Orient Express Lines, reached the port on April 6 and get a schedule for berthing on April 15.
Deep draught container vessel NORDCLAIRE has been waiting at the outer anchorage since April 7 and expected to get berthing on April 15. Similarly, container vessels namely MCC YANGON, HAPPY BEE, OEL BANGLADESH, and LUCKY MERRY are also facing the delay in berthing.
Officials said the port's container yard has a total storing capacity of 49,018 TEUs (20-feet equivalent units) while on Thursday some 44,544 TEUs of containers occupied roughly 91 per cent areas.
At least 30 per cent free space is required for smooth movement of containers at the port yard, they said.
As factories remained closed and the transport movement was restricted from the March 26th to contain further spread of novel coronavirus, importers are failing to get the delivery of containers, the officials said.
"Nearly a dozen government agencies are involved with the release of a container. The offices of these agencies are mostly closed, resulting in container congestion," president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or CCCI, Mahbubul Alam told the FE.
He said the importers are not responsible for the delivery delay, thus the government has waived store rent for containers during the shutdown period, which has been extended to April 25.
Mr Alam called upon the government to open offices of all the container delivery-related agencies immediately so that importers can take the boxes to their destinations.
Chittagong Port Authority secretary Omar Faruk told the FE that port officials are working round-the-clock to provide services, but the shippers are not cooperating.
"We have urged all trade bodies and the importers to get the delivery of containers quickly to help the port avoid congestions," he said. He warned the port may face a prolonged vessel and container congestions unless the importers get the delivery of their cargos without any further delay.
