Bangladesh provides its fair share of challenges for both global carriers and feeder operators. These include high operating costs, an underdeveloped port infrastructure and slow pace of modernisation. Despite these disadvantages, a steady flow of garments exports and consumer goods imports keeps them in this market, and the situation is improving. Unlike its huge neighbour India, all container shipments to and from Bangladesh continue to be carried by common feeder vessels, except for APL. Operators include the Bangladeshi HRC Shipping and the state-owned Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), as well as the foreign operators Advance Container Lines (owned by Pacific International Lines), Orient Express Lines, QC Container Line and Sea Consortium. Mainline operators are unable to serve the Bangladeshi market due to draught restrictions at both its ports, Chittagong and Mongla, of 9m or less. Another restriction for the carriers at these ports is the lack of gantry cranes or mobile cranes, so the loading and unloading of containers depends on use of the ships' gear.
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