Incidents of ships colliding and running aground at the Chattogram port's outer anchorage are alarmingly recurring, which officials and customers apprehend could tarnish the image of Bangladesh's premier harbour in global shipping business.

The collisions are occurring between ships arriving from the deep sea-Kutubdia direction and making a stopover at the outer anchorage to partially unload import cargo onto comparatively smaller lighter vessels, before going on to enter the port jetties.

Though the ships can offload all their import cargo anchoring in the deep sea around Kutubdia, their tendency is to come over to the outer anchorage near the Patenga coast in an attempt to reduce expenses.

But the difficulty arises in controlling such deep draft vessels at the comparatively shallow waters at the outer anchorage, especially when trying to go past the bow of anchored vessels at close range, leading to the frequent collisions.

Underestimating local conditions like tides, wind and currents as well as wrong use of anchoring space by the ships' pilots are the major reasons behind such accidents, according to the pilots at the port.

The port users fear that foreign vessel owners and operators may turn reluctant in transporting goods to Chattogram or attempt to raise freight charge due to such risks of accidents which damage vessels and result in financial losses.

Port officials said unwillingness of the shipping agents in complying with a set of directives of Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) over a year ago to ensure safety of vessels moving in the area makes them susceptible to accidents.

On the night of December 27, MV Diomidis ran aground near Alpha Anchorage. 

On the morning of December 13, MV Safe Sea Anya collided with an anchored MV Ken Wave while trying to make a stopover and then hit an adjoining stationary lighter vessel, Water Lily.

The starboard bow of MV Safe Sea Anya got damaged while the lighter vessel suffered structural damages.

Nine such incidents have been recorded so far this year at the outer anchorage while six incidents occurred in the past two months in a period when the sea remains calm compared to that during the monsoon.

A total of 283 vessels were involved in collisions at the outer anchorage in the decade to 2019.

Port officials said most of these accidents are occurring at the Alpha Anchorage out of three anchorage areas of the outer anchorage.

As Alpha Anchorage is of a deeper depth compared to its two peers, Bravo and Charlie anchorages, most vessels prefer to anchor at the former. The risk of accidents rises when too many vessels try to anchor there.   

Against this backdrop, the CPA in October last year issued a circular passing some directives regarding making stopovers at the three anchorages.

They include availing mandatory pilotage assistance service from the port while sailing vessels from Kutubdia to the outer anchorage.

In the circular, the CPA made pilotage or navigational assistance service compulsory for incoming ships having a draft of more than 10 metres

It was highly recommended for vessels of 9.5 metres to 10 metres of draft and simply recommended for any other vessel bound for the Chattogram outer anchorage from Kutubdia.

It also asked agents of vessels whose draft is over 9.5 metres to notify the CPA at least three days in advance before proceeding for the outer anchorage.

After receiving such notifications from the agents, individual spots would be demarked at Alpha Anchorage.

Such vessels need to take pilot from the CPA while a master mariner needs to stay on board until the draft reduces to 9.5 metres and the dragging tendency is eliminated.

CPA Deputy Conservator Captain Faridul Alam said due to opposition from a section of shipping agents, the circular could not be brought into force.

Port officials said the circular that was issued in October last year was supposed to come into effect from December 1, 2019 but the association of shipping agents sought two more months to comply with it.

As the pandemic started spreading in March, no initiative could be taken so far in this regard.

Ahsanul Haq Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association, said their members were opposed to taking pilotage assistance service fearing that it would raise cost.

He, however, said discipline at the outer anchorage should be maintained for the sake of safety and security.

He said the pilotage charge needs to be finalised through discussions with the shipping agents.

Market insiders said a section of shipping agents individually hired pilots at cheaper rates but collected huge sums of money from the vessel owners, which was why they were opposed to availing pilotage service from the port.

CPA Member (harbour and marine) Commodore Mostafizur Rahman said there was no alternative to maintaining discipline to avert accidents at the outer anchorage.

He said the difference in opinions among the agents about the directions could be resolved. He informed that necessary steps would be taken in this regard very soon.