Strike shuts down Bangladesh's biggest port

Officials astatine Chittagong Port, which handles the bulk of Dhaka's import and export activity, said determination had been nary question of goods since morning. Photo: - / AFP
Source: AFP

Operations astatine Bangladesh's biggest larboard were suspended connected Sunday arsenic a onslaught by customs officials brought shipping enactment to a halt.

The shutdown astatine Chittagong Port is portion of an ongoing quality betwixt taxation authorization employees and the government, which is trying to overhaul the body.

"The larboard typically handles astir 7,000 to 8,000 containers daily... But since this morning, determination has been nary question successful offloading oregon onboarding of goods," said Mohammed Omar Faruq, caput of the Chittagong Port Authority.

"This is having a immense interaction connected the country's economical situation," helium told AFP.

Bangladesh is the world's second-largest garment manufacturer, portion textile and garment accumulation accounts for astir 80 percent of the country's exports.

Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the halt successful larboard operations would outgo the industry $222 million.

"The outgo of betterment volition beryllium staggering -- beyond comprehension -- and galore factories hazard going bankrupt," helium told AFP.

Staff astatine the National Board of Revenue (NBR) person been striking connected and disconnected for weeks implicit plans to divided the authorization into 2 abstracted bodies.

Bangladesh's interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, urged them to extremity the walkout.

"We anticipation NBR's unit volition study backmost to enactment mounting speech their unlawful programme that goes against the nationalist involvement of the country," his bureau said successful a statement.

"Otherwise for the involvement of the radical of this state and safeguarding the economy the authorities volition beryllium near with nary enactment but to enactment firmly," the connection added.

NBR unit were prevented from entering their offices connected Sunday aft a authorities bid sought to halt them from protesting wrong their gathering premises.

Meanwhile, 13 business chambers held a property league connected Saturday urging the authorities to resoluteness the contented arsenic soon arsenic possible.

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Source: AFP