The High Court has put a hold on the order concerning the increased tariff (fee) of Chattogram Port for a period of 30 days. The Ministry of Shipping had previously announced a meeting schedule for Advisor Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain with port users. However, the Chattogram Port Authority has decided to postpone the meeting that was set for Monday (November 10).
In a notification released to the media on Sunday (November 9) night, Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Omar Faruk confirmed that the meeting has been postponed.
Earlier that same day (Sunday), a High Court bench consisting of Justices Kazi Zinat Haque and Ainun Nahar Siddiqa issued a rule that suspends the effectiveness of the gazette from September 14 and the notification from September 30 regarding the increased tariff of Chattogram Port for 30 days. The rule inquired why the increased tariff order from Chattogram Port should not be deemed outside the legal authority.
The port chairman and the chief finance and accounts officer have been instructed to respond within the next 30 days. Advocate Mohiuddin Abdul Quader, who is the president of the Bangladesh Maritime Law Society, filed the writ petition. He stated, "The increased tariff order issued by the Chattogram Port Authority on September 30 is illegal. The court has acknowledged this and has suspended the collection process for one month."
Deputy Attorney General Nur Mohammad Azmi, representing the state, informed CVOICE24, "The court has issued a rule along with a one-month suspension order."
It is important to note that, in response to traders' demands, a meeting was planned to take place in the conference room of the port building on Monday, chaired by Shipping Advisor Brigadier General (retd) M. Sakhawat Hossain.
However, Port Secretary Omar Farooq confirmed that the meeting has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances.
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