Lorry Drivers Strike Curtails Port Deliveries
An indefinite strike by lorry drivers halted deliveries from Bangladesh's main Chittagong port on Tuesday, port officials said."The deliveries have been stopped as lorry operators refused to carry cargo from this morning in protest against restriction on the unauthorized movement of trucks," an official said.
A Chittagong Port Authority directive said only registered trucks could operate in the port. "We will not operate if the restriction is not withdrawn," said an official from the Chittagong Port Truck Owners Association.
Approximately 3,000 trucks transport 30,000 tons cargo to and from the port daily, a port official said.
The port officials said nearly 30 ships were moored at jetties and outer anchorages, and about 16,000 containers and nearly 100,000 tons of bulk cargo piled up at the port on Tuesday.