A protest meeting has been organized by the Chittagong Port Users Forum to protest the increase in tariff fees at the Chittagong Port. In the meeting, business leaders have threatened to close the Chittagong Port if the tariff is not canceled within seven days.
A protest meeting was held at the Navy Convention in Chittagong City on Saturday (October 18) under the chairmanship of Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, convener of the Chittagong Port Users Forum.
Convener of the meeting Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury said, 'We contacted the Chief Advisor last Thursday. It has been unofficially informed from there that he is unable to pay attention due to the July Charter signing program. That is why we have organized this protest meeting today. If attention is not paid even after that, the businessmen of Chittagong will not wait much longer. We must give a program. That is why I am announcing this program before you now.'
He said, 'The C&F Agents Association will observe a four-hour strike from tomorrow. Two other organizations will observe their strike in the same way. We will give another memorandum to the government today, stating that if this is not resolved within a week, the Chittagong port will be closed.'
Stating that traders from all over Bangladesh will show solidarity in this program, he said, 'We are Bengali Chittagong, that is, this is not just for the traders of Chittagong. This is for the traders of all over Bangladesh. This is for the people of all over Bengal because this money will go from the pockets of the people.'
LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh President Md. Amirul Haque said, 'Unfortunately, I was born in the Mugh root. Very unfortunately, those who have now made this tariff, they think that we have imposed the value of Mugh on the people. None of their words are worth anything. When my driver comes here, he will eat for free. Will the driver have to pay for food? "Nakire brother, what kind of talk is this, why don't you say that the driver will pay money? In which society is this? When a car goes through the Karnaphuli Bridge or any bridge, there is no money for the car. Is there money for the driver or not, brother? Can the gate pass be for the driver? Is this in any civilized society?"
He also said, "Once upon a time, the gate pass was 50 paisa. Do you remember, or do you not remember? We who used to enter the port, the gate pass was 50 paisa. That 50 paisa will be 230 taka. We are really worth the mug. Such an unfair demand has increased up to 700 percent. It has been increased up to four times, five times, six times, seven times."
The C&F Agents Association will go on a four-hour strike from tomorrow. Two other organizations will also take up their programs. If this tariff is not canceled within a week, the Chittagong port will be closed.
BGMEA leader and Asian Group Chairman MA Salam said, 'Businessmen do not usually protest. But we are forced to protest. Even though Chittagong Port is a profitable institution, the tariff has been increased without any discussion. We cannot understand how the government, which played an important role in reducing American tariffs, has acted in a duplicitous manner.'
BGMEA Director SM Abu Tayyab said, 'We are not supposed to protest. But how can an institution that earns 2.5 to 3 billion taka every year, excluding all expenses, increase the tariff without any discussion with its stakeholders?'
Parvez Sattar, former president of the Chittagong Shipping Agents Association, said, 'When I was the president of the Shipping Agents Association, the dollar was worth 31 taka. Since then, the tariff of Chittagong Port has wanted to increase. But we did not allow it to increase even a taka. Currently, Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury is leading the Port Users Forum. He is a dynamic leader. I hope he will also succeed.'
Chittagong C&F Agents Association President SM Saiful Alam said, 'Transport workers are the ones who are suffering the most due to the sudden tariff hike. But this loss will affect the people of the entire country as a whole. So we want the government to withdraw from this tariff decision. Otherwise, we will have to take strict action.'
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