Prof ABM. Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
Acute shortage of foreign ships has been prevailing at Mongla, the Second Sea Port of the country for a long hampering the carrying of exported jute, shrimps, lobsters and other commodities of Khulna region . Consequently, they are to spend excess money and times. On the other hand, Mongla Port is being deprived of huge amount of revenues. Mongla Port Authority said that some 72 foreign ships carrying containers arrived at Mongla Port in the fiscal year of 2013-14. After that the arrival of such ships at the port began to decrease gradually. In the fiscal year of 2014-15 some 67 foreign ships arrived at the port and that reduced to only 46 (ships) in the financial year of 2015-16. But during the period from July, 2016 to February, 2017 only 24 foreign ships carrying containers arrived at the port.
The source further disclosed, some 29 thousand 1 hundred 41 containers were handled at the port in the fiscal year of 2013-14 while some 26 thousand 6 hundred 3 containers were handled at the port in the financial year of 2014-15. In the fiscal year of 2015-16 the handling of containers at the port reduced to 25 thousand 5 hundred 97 only.
Mongla Port users said that after unloading the containers (carried to the port by the foreign ships) are generally loaded with the local commodities for export. But for want of foreign ships carrying containers at Mongla Port the exporters (of jute and shrimps and lobsters) of this region have been running after Chittangong Port for 7/8 months in order to export their commodities
Sultan Hossain Khan, President , Mongla Customs C&F Agents’ Association said at the time of releasing the imported commodities from Mongla Port Customs harass the importers in various ways. He added, imported commodities which can be examined manually within 3 hours are generally required 3 days or more for the examining the same. Besides , there are shortage of machines and apparatus for handling the containers. There is also navigability crisis at the port. For all those reasons foreign ship carrying containers prefer Chittagong Port to Mongla Port.
Liaquat Hossain, President , Bagerhat Chamber of Commerce and Industries alleged, Mongla Port Customs Authority usually take more times unnecessarily to give the clearance of the imported commodities. Not only that but also the customs authorities compel the importers to pay a fat amount of cash Taka as fine in case of any fault is found there. For all those reasons the importers of this region are now willing to import commodities from the foreign countries through Chittagong port instead of Mongla Port. He further disclosed, all those affairs were brought to the notice of Mongla Port Authority ; Mongla Port Customs Authority and the Minister for Shipping .
Md. Rezaul Haq, Director , Frozen Foods Exporters’ Association disclosed to the newsmen, frozen shrimps and lobsters are exported abroad through containers. But at present on average only two foreign ships carrying containers arrive at Mongla Port per month. As a result, the importers of the region are compelled to use Chittagong Port and consequently, they are to spend excess monies and times.
Sharif Fazlur Rahman, an exporter of raw jutes and jute products of the region told the newsmen, at present they are compelled to go to Chittagong Port in order to export their commodities through the containers. He added, it will be very costly to bring containers to Mongla Port from Chittagang Port.
An official of Mongla Port who is unwilling to disclose his name told the newsmen, Mongla Port may be deprived of Tk 20 crores as revenue during the fiscal (2016-17) year due to falling short the arrival of foreign ships carrying containers at Mongla Port.
A meeting of the committee of the advisors of Mongla Sea Port was held in Khulna Circuit House on March 4. All those problems were raised in the meeting by the users of the port in presence of the Minister for Shipping and Inland Water Transport affairs. But Md. Al-Amin Pramanik, Customs Commissioner of Mongla Port denied all the allegations and said that the authorities had been discharging their duties as per the Customs Rules and Regulations.
The minister told the newsmen, Talukdar Abdul Khalek, MP of Momngla Constituency was requested to solve all the problems of the port. The Minister added, the MP was request to prepare a list of recommendations in consulting with the Mongla Port Authority ; Mongla Customs Authorities and the users of the Port. The recommendations will be placed in the next meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Port and the problems will be solved there through discussions.
Acute shortage of foreign ships has been prevailing at Mongla, the Second Sea Port of the country for a long hampering the carrying of exported jute, shrimps, lobsters and other commodities of Khulna region . Consequently, they are to spend excess money and times. On the other hand, Mongla Port is being deprived of huge amount of revenues. Mongla Port Authority said that some 72 foreign ships carrying containers arrived at Mongla Port in the fiscal year of 2013-14. After that the arrival of such ships at the port began to decrease gradually. In the fiscal year of 2014-15 some 67 foreign ships arrived at the port and that reduced to only 46 (ships) in the financial year of 2015-16. But during the period from July, 2016 to February, 2017 only 24 foreign ships carrying containers arrived at the port.
The source further disclosed, some 29 thousand 1 hundred 41 containers were handled at the port in the fiscal year of 2013-14 while some 26 thousand 6 hundred 3 containers were handled at the port in the financial year of 2014-15. In the fiscal year of 2015-16 the handling of containers at the port reduced to 25 thousand 5 hundred 97 only.
Mongla Port users said that after unloading the containers (carried to the port by the foreign ships) are generally loaded with the local commodities for export. But for want of foreign ships carrying containers at Mongla Port the exporters (of jute and shrimps and lobsters) of this region have been running after Chittangong Port for 7/8 months in order to export their commodities
Sultan Hossain Khan, President , Mongla Customs C&F Agents’ Association said at the time of releasing the imported commodities from Mongla Port Customs harass the importers in various ways. He added, imported commodities which can be examined manually within 3 hours are generally required 3 days or more for the examining the same. Besides , there are shortage of machines and apparatus for handling the containers. There is also navigability crisis at the port. For all those reasons foreign ship carrying containers prefer Chittagong Port to Mongla Port.
Liaquat Hossain, President , Bagerhat Chamber of Commerce and Industries alleged, Mongla Port Customs Authority usually take more times unnecessarily to give the clearance of the imported commodities. Not only that but also the customs authorities compel the importers to pay a fat amount of cash Taka as fine in case of any fault is found there. For all those reasons the importers of this region are now willing to import commodities from the foreign countries through Chittagong port instead of Mongla Port. He further disclosed, all those affairs were brought to the notice of Mongla Port Authority ; Mongla Port Customs Authority and the Minister for Shipping .
Md. Rezaul Haq, Director , Frozen Foods Exporters’ Association disclosed to the newsmen, frozen shrimps and lobsters are exported abroad through containers. But at present on average only two foreign ships carrying containers arrive at Mongla Port per month. As a result, the importers of the region are compelled to use Chittagong Port and consequently, they are to spend excess monies and times.
Sharif Fazlur Rahman, an exporter of raw jutes and jute products of the region told the newsmen, at present they are compelled to go to Chittagong Port in order to export their commodities through the containers. He added, it will be very costly to bring containers to Mongla Port from Chittagang Port.
An official of Mongla Port who is unwilling to disclose his name told the newsmen, Mongla Port may be deprived of Tk 20 crores as revenue during the fiscal (2016-17) year due to falling short the arrival of foreign ships carrying containers at Mongla Port.
A meeting of the committee of the advisors of Mongla Sea Port was held in Khulna Circuit House on March 4. All those problems were raised in the meeting by the users of the port in presence of the Minister for Shipping and Inland Water Transport affairs. But Md. Al-Amin Pramanik, Customs Commissioner of Mongla Port denied all the allegations and said that the authorities had been discharging their duties as per the Customs Rules and Regulations.
The minister told the newsmen, Talukdar Abdul Khalek, MP of Momngla Constituency was requested to solve all the problems of the port. The Minister added, the MP was request to prepare a list of recommendations in consulting with the Mongla Port Authority ; Mongla Customs Authorities and the users of the Port. The recommendations will be placed in the next meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Port and the problems will be solved there through discussions.
