Chattogram Bureau :
Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has cancelled the licence of handling the Charpara Pontoon Jetty Ghat, a key wharf used by lighter ship workers, after one and a half years of protests. The decision made on Tuesday has now led the workers to demand that the jetty be managed directly by the port authorities rather than being leased to another commercial entity.
The Charpara jetty in Patenga was originally constructed by the CPA to facilitate the transportation of workers and daily necessities to and from lighter ships anchored outside the port. Its management was handed over to Sea Maritime Services through a tender process, with an annual lease of Tk1.1 crore. The company took charge of the jetty on 1 January 2022.However, shortly after the lease agreement, lighter ship workers began protesting, demanding the cancellation of the lease. Their protests, which included several strikes, significantly disrupted the movement of goods from Chattogram Port on multiple occasions.
According to the lighter ship workers, Sea Maritime Services continued to collect tolls illegally for about a year and a half without renewing their licence. During the period, the company charged fees from sampans (small boats) while refraining from charging passengers. The company’s personnel have gone into hiding after the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August.
Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Lighterage Workers’ Union, told that the lease led to the collection of tolls ranging from Tk100 to Tk500 from sampan operators, depending on the distance travelled. Additionally, labourers had to pay over Tk200 to reach the coast, which was a significant financial burden for low-income workers.