Couriers’ strike disrupts release of imports at Dhaka airport

A strike by courier service providers has disrupted the release of imported goods at the Shahjalal International Airport.

Employees of 38 courier services stopped work at Cargo Village of the airport on Thursday to press their demand – allotment of separate spaces in the Village for handling goods.

Only 16 of a total of 54 courier companies handling imported goods at the airport got separate spaces allotted in the Village.

The other 34 companies keep goods at a common place.

Their employees took position at the Village on Wednesday morning and began the strike when customs officials objected.

Before the strike was withdrawn on Thursday afternoon, Shafikur Rahman of Habib and Brothers was seen waiting for his consignment in front of the Village for the second day.

"These hurt me. We, the representatives of the owners, release goods by paying duty. But the harassments we face here are unspeakable," he said.

An average of 5,500 consignments is unloaded from the Cargo Village daily.

After the strike was withdrawn, a disorder took place while unloading the piled-up cargo.

Mizanur Rahman of Aleya Enterprise and Md Shahidul Haque of Classic Fashions brought similar allegations. 

They blamed the cargo handlers and the courier services for the irregularities.

A Dhaka Customs House official said Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) rented the Cargo Village to Biman Bangladesh Airlines that had sublet it 'some' courier companies.

CAAB objected to the sublet after an incident of fire in 2013, he said and added no other firm had been allotted any place at the Village since then.

The customs decided to 'bring order' to the unloading of goods after a 'huge' amount of cargo was lost to an attack on customs officials on Aug 10, he said.

Dhaka Customs House Commissioner Lutfor Rahman told bdnews24.com that the courier services had been asked to take allocation of space from Biman within Dec 17, but only 16 have applied so far.

The others who could not file any assignment letter had gone on strike, he said.

The time to file the assignment letter has been extended to Dec 31 after the strike.