COVID-19: Chittagong Port and aftermath

Mannan, Samsul; Shaheen, Md. Mostafa Aziz; Saha, Rana

After first unveiled in China, by March 2020, the wide spreading episode of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) spread over Europe and the rest of the world. Besides the public health crisis, not only the Chinese economy but also the global economy as well as the supply chain faced a significant slowdown. Port is not apart from this. Chittagong Port is considered the economic nerve of Bangladesh. A significant segment of export-import moved through Chittagong Port. Like the entire globe, the outbreak of coronavirus affects the country’s prime seaport adversely. This study examines the issues concerning port operation. This study has a qualitative approach that depended on data collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected from field surveys using semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with government agencies, policymakers, researchers, businessmen, port users and entrepreneurs. Secondary data were sourced from different policy documents, scholarly articles, reports and the internet. This study provides an overview of COVID-19 impacts on the port and shipping activities in Chittagong Port, which include impacts on port of call, warehouse and distribution activities, hinterland connections and port employees. Therefore, this study discussed those issues to date, identify impacts and authority response to address the impacts. Finally, this study put forward strategies for their mitigation.