Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Bridges, and Railway Sheikh Rabiul Alam has directed legal action against companies involved in keeping imported wheat and maize-laden lighter vessels anchored in the river for long periods without unloading the food products into warehouses within the stipulated time.
During an unscheduled inspection visit to the Dhaleshwari River area in Munshiganj district this morning, the minister observed that several lighter vessels had been kept anchored with food products for 6 to 18 days. According to relevant rules, these products should have been quickly unloaded into designated warehouses, but this was not done on time.
The shipping minister stated that any attempt to create an artificial crisis in the market or gain excessive profits by unjustifiably leaving food products on vessels will not be tolerated, adding that this risks harming market management and consumer interests.
The government maintains a firm stance against such irregularities, he emphasised.
He informed that a task force formed under the Department of Shipping is regularly conducting drives and monitoring activities on waterways. In the last one and a half months, a total of 838 vessels have been inspected in the Dhaka, Narayanganj, and Jashore regions.
If irregularities are proven, necessary action will be taken against those involved under existing laws, he said.
The minister called upon all concerned importers, transporters, and businessmen to strictly follow the prescribed rules and regulations and instructed them to ensure the quick unloading and proper preservation of food products.
Shipping, Road Transport and Bridges, and Railway State Minister Habibur Rashid; Shipping Secretary Nurunnahar Chowdhury; BIWTA Chairman Arif Ahmed Mostafa; and senior officials of the Ministry of Shipping were also present during the briefing.
