Freight rates for transporting goods by lighter vessels from Chattogram Port to inland waterways will increase by 10 per cent, following the recent rise in fuel prices. The decision was made at a stakeholder meeting held by the Department of Shipping on Wednesday.
The revised rates, which require approval from the Ministry of Shipping, may be applied retrospectively, in line with the date of the fuel price hike.
Department of Shipping Chief Engineer and Ship Surveyor Mirza Saifur Rahman confirmed that the meeting was convened after lighter vessel owners proposed fare adjustments due to increasing fuel costs. Representatives from importers, vessel owners, and other stakeholders attended the meeting, where a consensus was reached to raise per-ton freight charges by 10 per cent.
“The decision will be forwarded to the ministry for approval. Once it is approved, the new rates will be implemented,” Rahman said, adding that the revised rates could align with the effective date of the fuel price hike.
The meeting was chaired by Commodore Md Shafiul Bari, Director General of the Department of Shipping and Chairman of the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC) Supervisory Committee.
The price of diesel, the primary fuel for lighter vessels, rose from Tk100 to Tk115 per litre on April 19, a Tk15 increase.
Engineer Mehbub Kabir, Secretary of the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association, explained that vessel owners initially proposed a 25 per cent increase, while importers suggested a 5 per cent hike.
“After extensive discussions, a 10 per cent increase was agreed upon as a balanced solution,” he said.
It marks the first time the Department of Shipping has set lighter vessel freight rates through stakeholder consultation. Previously, rates were determined solely by vessel owners, often leading to disputes with importers.
“With the government now determining the rates, we expect fewer disputes between vessel owners and importers,” said Parvez Ahmed, spokesperson for the BWTCC.
Currently, lighter vessels operate on at least 38 routes across Bangladesh, including major corridors like Chattogram–Dhaka and Chattogram–Narayanganj. Under the new framework, the freight rate for transporting cement clinker on the Chattogram–Dhaka route, currently Tk550 per ton, will rise by Tk55. Rates on other routes will increase proportionally, depending on distance.
Lighter vessels are crucial for transferring goods from large ocean-going vessels anchored offshore to inland destinations. Approximately 70 to 75 per cent of Bangladesh’s bulk imports—including food grains, fertiliser, sugar, cement clinker, and industrial raw materials—are handled via this method.
Around 2,000 registered lighter vessels operate at the port’s outer anchorage, including 1,022 owned by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation and 629 by private operators.
Industrial groups in sectors such as cement and steel also operate their own lighter vessels to transport imported goods.
