C T Online Desk: There has been a call to stop the forced shipment of empty containers at Chittagong porwhich has been going on for almost six years. There is no precedent for this in any other port in the world. Therefore, questions have started to arise in the international shipping trade about the forced shipment of Chittagong port.
It has also been commented that the system of forcibly handing over empty containers to any ship is an obstacle in the way of building Smart Bangladesh and has a negative impact on the image of Chittagong port. Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association and Bangladesh Container Shipping Association have requested the Chittagong Port Authority chairman to stop forced shipment in separate letters.
Containers have become an indispensable tool in the worldwide shipping trade. Day by day the transportation of goods in containers is increasing. Not only valuable goods, but also ordinary quality goods are now being transported in containers. The owner of the container is the main line operator or MLO. After unloading the goods of the containers brought from abroad, these empty containers are again sent to a foreign port according to the instructions of the MLO.
In this case the feeder services have an executed Common Carrier Agreement or CCA with the respective MLO. Under this agreement feeder service contracts with respective MLOs transport the empty containers of those MLOs.
