CHIITAGONG: Goods handling in the Chittagong port dropped to 25 per cent due to countrywide blockade sponsored by BNP-led 20-party alliance since January 6, coupled with frequent hartals.

Loading-unloading of goods from ships remain normal at the port amid countrywide political unrest, but businessmen are facing problem in taking delivery of their imported goods.

An on-duty official at the port blamed poor number of vehicles to for the decrease of goods traffic as panic griped owners, drivers and helpers of the vehicles.

Preferring anonymity, an on-duty officer at port told banglanews that the goods traffic has been badly hampered due to the ongoing political turmoil since January, decreasing to one-fourth its usual volume.

Owners incurred huge loss for arson attacks at vehicles on highways unleashed by suspected blockaders or hartal supporters. A good number of drivers and their helpers were killed and sustained injuries in the violence across the country. So, they felt insecure and refrained themselves from driving vehicles.

President of Truck-Covered Van Owners’ Association, an Inter-district cargo transport organization, Munir Ahmad said 50 percent goods-laden vehicles are plying on highway with life risk during hartal, blockade.

50 percent owners stopped plying the vehicles fearing sabotage which created a crisis, affecting goods delivery, he added.

Although the Chittagong port is ready to release the products, imported goods can not take back due to shortage of transport. Traders are incurring huge losses and similarly, transport owners and workers faced financial crisis.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) sources said in last 24-hour 389 containers of exportable goods entered the country’s premier port. 334 containers have been released. 2,208 trucks, covered vans and lorries entered the port while 3, 946 vehicles loaded with goods came out of the port.

In a spot visit, banglanews correspondent saw that three vehicles entered the port between 6:30am and 8:00am and none came out.

Normally, trucks remain stranded there in queue to load goods and trucks came out one after another with few minutes gap.

Truck helper Alamgir who was seen waiting for loading goods at the gate of port, told banglanews that vehicles were torched on Dhaka-Chittagong highway that left drivers, helpers dead, injured.

But they compel to run trucks ignoring the risk of life only for livelihood, he added.

BDST: 1333 HRS, FEB 08, 2015