Home ›› 12 Nov 2022 ›› Front
Loading-unloading of goods from moored ships at Chittagong Port remained halted throughout Friday after light vessels workers launched an indefinite strike effectively shutting down goods transportation at different parts of the country.
The strike was later called off at night following a three and a half hour long meeting with local authorities, people familiar with the matter said. Goods operation resumed immediately after the strike ended.
“Authorities have agreed to fulfil our main demand of cancelling the lease of Charpara Ghat. That is why we called off the strike,” said Jasim Uddin, acting general secretary of Lighter Vessel Workers Union.
Their initial five-point demand included the removal of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) chairman, removal of the officer-in-charge of Patenga police station, cancelling CPA’s lease of Charpara Ghat, conducting a survey of vessels at Parky Char area, and creating a safe harbour for lighter vessels by excavating the Sangu River estuary.
Jasim said the strike was called from Friday morning in protest of an attack on some nine lighter vessel workers on November 3 at Charpara Ghat.
When the workers went to Patenga police station to file a case over the attack, they were refused. In addition, their initial demand to cancel the CPA’s lease of Charpara Ghat also went unheard.
In protest of authorities’ inaction over the incident, the workers later started using the Chinese Ghat instead of Charpara Ghat to get on and off the vessels. But the authorities closed off that terminal as well, prompting workers to go on the strike, said Jasim.
They announced the work stoppage during a rally under the banner of ‘vessel workers of all levels,’ at Banglabazar area of the port city on Thursday evening.
Local MP MA Latif, Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan, President of Nauyan Sramik Federation Shah Alam were present in the meeting with protesting workers.
