1.3m tonnes of essential commodities stranded at sea

Ahead of Ramadan each year, large volumes of essential commodities are imported. This year, however, imports have surpassed all previous records.

As a result, the entire supply chain—from unloading goods from mother vessels to transporting them to factories or warehouses—has come under severe pressure. The situation has become even more complicated due to a shortage of lighter vessels used for river transport.

People involved in port operations say many new companies have increased imports of essential commodities this year. But a large number of these firms lack adequate warehousing or storage facilities.

As a result, after goods are transferred from large vessels to lighter ships, they cannot be unloaded quickly at river terminals. This causes lighter vessels to remain stuck for extended periods.

At the same time, rising imports have increased demand for lighter vessels, further worsening the shortage.

According to Chattogram Port’s list from last Tuesday, of the 104 cargo vessels anchored at the outer anchorage, 46 were carrying essential commodities. These vessels held a total of 2.346 million tonnes of goods.

At the same time last year, around 1.2 million tonnes of essential commodities were carried by 26 vessels. In other words, within a year, both the number of vessels and the volume of goods have nearly doubled.

Port reports show that by Tuesday morning, about 1.05 million tonnes had been unloaded, while nearly 1.3 million tonnes were still awaiting discharge.

Wheat accounts for the largest share of imports this time. Of the vessels at the port, 25 are carrying wheat, with a total of 1.35 million tonnes imported. Of this, 580,000 tonnes have been unloaded. Seven vessels carrying chickpeas, lentils, and peas imported 236,000 tonnes, of which 100,000 tonnes have been discharged. Meanwhile, nine vessels brought in 439,000 tonnes of oilseeds, with about 250,000 tonnes unloaded.

According to port data, an average of 50,000–60,000 tonnes of essential commodities are transferred daily from large vessels to lighter ships. These lighter vessels then transport the goods via river routes to Dhaka, Barishal, Khulna, and various terminals across the country for unloading.

Supply chain under strain

The sudden surge in imports has significantly increased demand for lighter vessels used in river transport. However, under the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC), the number of lighter vessels has fallen from around 1,200 previously to just 1,022 at present, making the shortage more acute.

According to a WTCC report dated 25 January, 265 lighter vessels have been stuck at various river terminals for periods ranging from 10 days to one and a half months while awaiting unloading. Of these, 122 are carrying essential commodities.

The report also highlights how long lighter vessels can remain stranded. For instance, the lighter vessel Shubharaj-8, with a capacity of around 2,000 tonnes, was allocated on 11 December to unload wheat from the MV Telerig at Chattogram Port’s outer anchorage for importer SS Trading. Although the vessel was taken to a terminal in Narayanganj, unloading had not been completed even after more than one and a half months.

WTCC data show that this is not an isolated case. A total of 13 lighter vessels carrying wheat for SS Trading have been stuck for one to one and a half months at terminals in Narayanganj, Noapara, and Kanchpur.

An employee of the company told Prothom Alo that SS Trading has no warehouses of its own. The situation arose because buyers failed to take delivery on time. In addition, there is a shortage of labour at the terminals.

Lighter vessels carrying essential commodities imported by companies such as N Mohammad, Akij Group, Biswas Group, and Madina Trading are also stranded at various terminals.

Mezbah Uddin, manager of MST Marine Enterprise—one of the transport agents responsible for arranging lighter vessels for importers—told Prothom Alo that importers without warehouses are unable to unload goods quickly from lighter vessels.

This makes it difficult to allocate vessels for new shipments. He added that unloading at most terminals is still carried out using traditional methods, which takes more time.

Meanwhile, large industrial groups are comparatively better positioned within the supply chain. Some groups own their own lighter vessels. Meghna Group of Industries, TK Group of Industries, City Group, and Akij Resource Group have dedicated terminals where goods can be unloaded quickly using cranes. As a result, their lighter vessels can often be cleared within one or two days.

However, even large groups without sufficient lighter vessels of their own are facing difficulties, as they too are unable to secure vessels in line with demand. For example, on Tuesday, no lighter vessels were allocated to unload goods from 24 large vessels. On that day, WTCC was able to allocate lighter vessels for only 90 large vessels.

Director General of the Department of Shipping, Commodore Md Shafiul Bari, told Prothom Alo that since enforcement drives began on 15 January, 574 vessels have been cleared. Action is being taken against those keeping goods stuck on lighter vessels. “We are also launching new software on Friday to bring discipline to vessel movement in this sector,” he said.

Push for faster unloading

Parvez Ahmed, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell, told Prothom Alo: “Imports have increased, but the number of lighter vessels has declined. Many terminals still lack modern unloading facilities. Taken together, this has put pressure on the supply chain. We are urging importers to unload goods quickly so that the situation can return to normal.”