The Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA) has formally requested the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) to reconsider its proposed plan to reduce the number of geared and gearless vessels calling at the port.
In a letter dated August 19, 2025, addressed to the CPA Chairman, BSAA Chairman Syed Mohammad Arif expressed disappointment over the port authority’s decision.
He noted that the association’s views, presented in meetings on July 20, 2025 and in letters dated July 24 and July 31, 2025, had not been adequately considered.
The association pointed out that no agreement was reached regarding vessel reduction during discussions, contrary to what was recorded in the official minutes of the July 20 meeting.
Arif further emphasised that the issue was thoroughly debated in an urgent meeting of member vessel operators on July 30, 2025, and objections to the reduction were formally submitted to the Deputy Conservator of CPA, with copies forwarded to the port management.
The BSAA also raised concerns about individual operators being asked to attend meetings separately, neglecting the collective stance of the association as the representative body for all shipping agents.
In addition, the association highlighted improvements in vessel berthing delays at Chattogram Port and argued that, with proper implementation of existing handling and sailing procedures for different vessel categories, there was no practical reason to reduce the number of vessels.
BSAA urged CPA to reconsider its plan and review the association’s arguments, reiterating its firm opposition to the proposed reduction.
Earlier, on July 29, 2025, the Chattogram Port Authority issued a directive requesting agents to submit a list of ships to be withdrawn within 24 hours, citing increasing vessel backlogs at the outer anchorage. In response, on July 31, shipping agents urged the CPA to grant a three-month grace period before implementing the plan to reduce 15 ships from the approved list.
During a port management meeting on July 20, Chattogram Port Director (Traffic) Enamul Karim revealed that the number of permitted vessels had increased from 96 at the start of the year to 118, mostly through ad-hoc approvals.
This rise, he explained, had led to longer waiting times and more congestion at the outer anchorage. At the beginning of the year, ships waited an average of 1-2 days with only 7-8 vessels in the queue, but this number has significantly increased since.
To restore efficiency and protect the port’s international reputation, Enamul recommended capping the number of permitted vessels at 96 to 100 again.