Bangladesh’s first-ever direct export of readymade garments by sea  started on Monday with MV Songa Cheeta leaving Chattogram port for Italy. The ship left the port at around 3 pm for Ravenna port in Italy carrying 950 TEUs (Twenty Equipment Unit) in 493 boxes. On Saturday, the ship anchored at NCT04 jetty of the port carrying the empty containers. Port chairman, Rear Admiral M Shahjahan inaugurated the direct ship operation on Bangladesh-Italy route on Monday at NCT jetty of the port. Also read: Don’t get trapped by traffickers, warns Embassy after deaths in Italy Terming it as a ground breaking turn of Bangladesh economy he said ships on this route will be prioritized for facilitating with berthing, key gantry crane allotment and other amenities. Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the EU to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley, Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Enrico Nunziata, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan were present at the inauguration They hailed the direct shipment as a new milestone for Bangladesh in international sea trade. “Now it will mostly take 15 days to send goods to European ports which used to take one and a half months before. It will decrease the carrying cost by 45 to 50 per cent, “said Md Omar Faruque, a Chattogram port official. BGMEA leaders and concerned shipping agents said until now the RMG goods for export were sent to Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysian ports in containers on feeder ships from Chattogram port. From there the containers are carried by larger ships bound for European and US ports, they said.    Also read: Increased capacity of Ctg Port to cut cost of doing business: FBCCI According to them if direct container ship operation on Chattogram-Italy route remains uninterrupted Bangladesh will be ahead of Vietnam in RMG export as it will save lead time and fare. On December 23, the first trial ship operation to Bangladesh from Italy began by bringing empty containers.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the government to step up security measures and police surveillance to stop readymade garment (RMG) export goods theft on the Dhaka-Chattagram highway. BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the call during a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan at the secretariat Monday. Senior Secretary to the Public Security Division under the Home Ministry Mostafa Kamal Uddin, Inspector General of Police Dr Benazir Ahmed, Additional Inspector General of Industrial Police Shafiqul Islam, Additional Inspector General of Highway Police Mallick Faqrul Islam, Additional Commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police AKM Hafiz Akhtar and other high officials of law enforcement agencies attended the meeting. Former president of BGMEA Md Siddiqur Rahman, incumbent Senior Vice-President SM Mannan (Kochi), Vice-President Md Shahidullah Azim, Vice-President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Vice-President Md Nasir Uddin; and directors Md Khosru Chowdhury and Haroon Ar Rashid, and leaders of the Truck Covered Van Owners Association were also present at the meeting. READ: ILO spreads Covid-19 awareness among RMG workers BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said increasing incidents of RMG goods theft on the highway is worrying the apparel exporters. Also, such instances damage the image of Bangladesh when buyers discover rags and other materials filed by thieves in cargoes instead of finished garments, he added. He urged the government to increase the vigilance of the law enforcement agencies to stop the theft of RMG goods. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan directed the law enforcement agencies to be strict in preventing garment goods theft on the highway. The minister assured that the Dhaka-Chattogram highway would be brought under CCTV surveillance; work had had already started in this connection and would be completed within four months. READ: BGMEA wants end of RMG goods theft on highways He also gave instructions that a working committee be formed headed by the Additional IGP of Highway Police involving representatives of law enforcement agencies, the BGMEA and Truck Covered Van Owners Association to devise ways to curb RMG export goods theft on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.