In Bangladesh, a student-led blockade demanding the removal of the public sector job quota system has halted the movement of cargo trucks to Chittagong port and container depots since Wednesday night. The nationwide road blockades have disrupted the transportation of export and import cargoes, with no vehicles operating on the highways. This blockade follows a series of protests against the quota system.
Arshad Jamal (Dipu), Vice President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), expressed concern over the halted cargo movement, emphasizing the challenges faced in sending export cargo to Chittagong port. He highlighted the potential difficulties for the export-oriented industry if the disputes remain unresolved.
Similarly, Nurul Qayyum Khan, President of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), noted the suspension of truck entries to depots and ports since Thursday morning, attributing the halt to security concerns. Despite these disruptions, container depot operations for stuffing and un-stuffing of cargo continue, with expectations of normalization in the future. A Chittagong port official confirmed that while container loading and unloading proceed as usual within the port, the blockade prevents containers from leaving the port area.
Source: container-news.com