Summary:
- Businesses are hoarding imported Ramadan supplies by using 350+ lighter vessels as floating warehouses, disrupting Chattogram Port’s supply chain despite adequate stocks.
- Importers face $20,000 daily demurrage charges per stranded mother vessel, escalating risks of consumer price hikes during Ramadan.
- Cargo handling delays stem from reduced lighter vessel availability as importers prioritize Mongla/Payra ports for lower fees, worsening Chattogram’s congestion.
- Shipping authorities warn of imminent raids against hoarders, citing government tariff cuts to stabilize markets now jeopardized by artificial shortages.
Business groups are allegedly exploiting Bangladesh’s inland water transport system to create artificial shortages of daily essentials ahead of Ramadan, despite sufficient import stocks. Over 350 lighter vessels—critical for transferring goods from larger ships to ports—are reportedly being used as floating warehouses, crippling supply chains and threatening price stability during the holy month.
The crisis centers on Chattogram Port, where 48 lighter vessels remain anchored offshore, unable to unload goods from 13 mother vessels. Industry leaders warn that importers now face daily demurrage charges of $20,000 per vessel, costs likely to inflate consumer prices. “A vested group is intentionally holding lighter vessels to create scarcity,” said Haji Mohammad Idris, Secretary of Khatunganj Hamid Ullah Market Business Welfare Association. “If this continues, Ramadan markets will face chaos.”
The congestion follows a months-long shift in import activity toward Mongla and Payra ports due to lower fees, reducing lighter vessel availability in Chattogram. Parvez Ahmed, Vice President of the Lighter Vessel Owners’ Association (IVWOA), confirmed that zero lighter vessels have been allocated to mother vessels in recent weeks despite repeated requests.
Bangladesh’s interim government had earlier reduced tariffs on key food items to stabilize Ramadan supplies, prompting record imports. However, the Department of Shipping warns that hoarding by importers risks negating these efforts. “We will soon launch raids against those misusing lighter vessels as storage,” said Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam, Director-General of the department.
Authorities attribute part of the problem to soaring warehouse rents, pushing importers to use anchored lighter vessels as temporary storage. With over 1,500 lighter vessels typically operating nationwide—most near Chattogram—the current gridlock has intensified pressure on markets. Consumers now brace for potential price surges as Ramadan begins, despite assurances of adequate import volumes.
