Home ›› 29 Jul 2022 ›› News
To avoid complications at the Chattogram Port and taking advantage of the Padma Bridge, apparel items being imported by global brand H&M — the largest buyer for Bangladesh’s clothing products — has gone through the Mongla Port for the first time.
A ship of shipping giant Maersk carrying 17 containers of readymade garment products left for Poland from Jetty No 8 of the port in Khulna on Thursday afternoon, officials said.
These goods were manufactured at 27 factories in Narayanganj, Gazipur and Mymensingh, according to people concerned.
While H&M plans to gradually increase consignments through Mongla Port, many importers and exporters have claimed that there are still some obstacles before the full use of the port begins.
However, the port authority expects to resolve the issues gradually and hopes that they will be able to handle the export cargo in line with their capacity.
Talking to The Business Post, H&M Regional Country Manager Ziaur Rahman said, “We have some advantages if we use Mongla, such as shorter distance, better communication and fewer complications than Chattogram.”
Padma Bridge has also given them a better and direct road to the port, he said. “We want to take full advantage of this port and we will import a certain per cent of our goods through Mongla.”
Ziaur said they are also sourcing clothes from the factories in western and northern regions and planning to export the goods through Mongla. “It will be easier to take the shipments from Narayanganj, southern Dhaka and its surrounding areas to Mongla Port than Chattogram.”
Impress Group manufactured 487 cartons of apparel goods, a total of 42,182 pieces, for H&M and sent them to Mongla Port on two trucks for shipping as per the buyer’s requirement.
Its officials claimed they paid Tk 25,000 per truck to send the goods to Mongla while it costs Tk 17,000-18,000 per truck to send the goods to Chattogram Port, even though Mongla is around 90 kilometres closer.
This is happening due to a lack of transport, they said.
“However, we are not unhappy. Because in Chattogram, our products would have waited at least four days in the inland container depot area and we would have paid Tk 4,000 per day as a waiting charge. On the other hand, we delivered the goods in Mongla the same day we sent them,” Impress Group Chief Commercial Officer Iqbal Ahamed told The Business Post.
“As the full-fledged export operation is not on yet at this port, we faced the C&F agents. But we expect the issue to be resolved soon,” he added.
In FY2021-22, Bangladesh exported and imported goods worth more than $132 billion, where around 90 per cent went through Chattogram Port. Of that, $42.61 billion worth of exported goods were apparel products and around 98 per cent of that was handled by Chattogram even though Mongla Port has been operating for 78 years.
Before the Padma Bridge was opened, it would take cargo vehicles a long time to cross the river via ferries while traders struggled to utilise the south-western seaport’s facilities. But now the situation has changed completely as the bridge offers a direct line of communication.
“H&M imported 17 containers of goods from here as part of risk assessment and we are happy with Mongla Port’s management. They are missing some facilities that are available in Chattogram, including available vessels every week, transport and labour. But we think the situation will gradually improve when exporters increase their business through this port,” Ziaur said.
Md Imtiaz Hossain, member (engineering and development) of the Mongla Port Authority, told The Business Post that cargo handling has increased slightly at the port after the inauguration of the Bridge.
He said works were underway to ensure easy movement of all types of vessels and proper facilities for all exporters and importers.
Another official said the port authority was talking to stakeholders to increase the trade through Mongla.
“It’s true that vessels are not available every week, but they will come just like they do in Chattogram after exporters and importers increase business. It will take some time,” said the official.
