WTC obstructs the unloading of stone for the development work of Bangabandhu Industrial City

Bangabandhu Industrial City

The Water Transport Cell (WTC), a company operating a lighter ship, is blocking the unloading of stones from a large ship off the coast of Chittagong. That is why the stone is not going to be taken to Bangabandhu Industrial City for two days. The contractor China Harbor Engineering Company Limited sent a letter to Chittagong Port and WTC on Tuesday stating that the development work of the project was hampered.

It is learned that the water transport cell (WTC) is barring them due to the unloading of ships. However, it is not possible to take these stones to the project area of ​​Bangabandhu Industrial City by a lighter ship.

Sun Dong, project manager at China Harbor, told the WTC and the director of the Chittagong Port Transport Department in a letter that the stone was needed on an urgent basis for the project. As many as 50 people are sitting idle due to delays in the delivery of stones. He also mentioned in the letter that there was a huge financial loss due to the obstruction.

Jimmy Mohammad Jamil, the project coordinator of China Harbor, told Prothom Alo that the water depth in the Sandwip Channel in front of the project area is low. For this reason, stones have been taken for so long in a navigable vessel named 'Barge 296'. This is the first time the barrier has been given. The project is being hampered due to the inability to take stones.

The Water Development Board is implementing Super Dyke or Defense Dam project to protect Bangabandhu Industrial City from natural calamities. The contractor for this project is China Harbor Engineering Company. Extensive development work is going on in this industrial city. It will have to take a huge amount of construction materials in the waterway.

On the other hand, when asked about the reason for the obstruction, the joint convener of the Water Transport Cell, Nurul Haque, told Prothom Alo that as per the rules, the Water Transport Cell allocates lighter ships for unloading goods from large ships at the outer anchorage. But they are unloading goods on their own ships.

On August 23, the Department of Shipping issued a notice for loading and unloading of goods from lighter ships with an allocation from the private company WTC. According to him, the importers who have not chartered ships from that company are being prevented from unloading goods on their ships.

Importers say many importers have bought lighter ships to save costs. They are transporting goods by their own ships. They are also renting lighter ships directly to save cost as they get less fare from WTC.