The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has temporarily suspended the licenses and enlistment of four ship handling operators for allegedly violating its directives and established policy concerning the allocation of vessels among authorized operators.
The affected companies are M/S Bangladesh International Shipping Corporation, M/S Union Traders, M/S Pacific International Limited, and M/S Sea Coast Shipping and Trading Limited.
The CPA notified the companies of the decision through separate letters issued on Monday (September 7) from the office of Golam Md Sarwarul Islam, Director (Traffic) of the port authority.
According to the letters, the companies failed to properly comply with the authority’s directives concerning the allocation of vessels among licensed and authorized ship handling operators. The port authority said the violations amounted to a breach of Clause 7.4 (Section C) of the Chattogram Port Authority Ship Handling Operator Policy-2015.
The action followed a decision taken at a meeting of the CPA board on July 27. According to port records, the board adopted Decision No. 20166, approving the temporary suspension of the enlistment of the four companies as ship handling operators.
Following the board decision, the port authority issued separate suspension orders on September 7.
Syed Refayet Hamim, Secretary of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), told The Daily TIMES of Bangladesh that, the administrative action was taken for violating Clause 7.4 of the Chattogram Port’s 2015 Ship-Handling Policy, which prescribes the procedures for allocating vessels to newly authorised ship-handling operators.
As the four firms failed to comply with the prescribed procedures, the CPA cancelled their licences/enlistments under the relevant provisions of the policy, he added.
More than half of Chattogram Port’s handling operations are carried out at the outer anchorage, while the remainder takes place at the port’s own jetties. Ship handling operators are responsible for handling operations at the outer anchorage.
Currently, 32 ship handling operators are engaged in operations at Chattogram Port’s outer anchorage.
