1 Million Tonnes of Food Stuck as Importers Accused of Artificial Shortage Before Ramadan in Bangladesh

More than one million tonnes of essential food commodities imported ahead of Ramadan are lying idle for months in the Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh’s river routes, as at least six major importing groups allegedly use lighter vessels as “floating warehouses” to manipulate supply and prices.
According to port and shipping sources, around 600 lighter vessels loaded with wheat, maize, lentils, chickpeas, soybean, sugar and edible oil are currently stranded, creating an acute shortage of available lighters and severely disrupting the unloading of mother vessels at Chattogram port.
The six major importers accused of dominating this syndicate include Akij Group—owned by incumbent Trade Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin—Jamaat-linked Nabil Group, TK Group, Meghna Group, City Group and Bashundhara Group. Together, they are alleged to be holding nearly one million tonnes of essential goods on board lighter vessels.
Sources claim Akij Group alone has occupied around 80 lighter vessels carrying fertiliser, bitumen, mustard seed, edible oil, wheat and sugar. Nabil Group and Meghna Group reportedly follow next in scale, while City Group and Bashundhara Group hold fewer vessels due to comparatively lower import volumes.
Under normal conditions, a lighter vessel completes unloading within 15 days. However, many vessels have now remained idle for 30 to 40 days, worsening the shortage of lighters needed to offload newly arrived cargo.
Record Congestion at Anchorage
Chattogram port’s outer anchorage currently hosts a record 176 mother vessels, at least 61 of which are carrying essential food items such as wheat, maize, chickpeas and soybean. Port officials say 110 vessels have already been informed that they will not be allowed to enter the inner port and must discharge cargo via lighters at sea.
As of January 15, a total of 108 cargo vessels were waiting at the outer anchorage and Kutubdia channel, carrying over 4.5 million tonnes of goods. Of these, 17 vessels were loaded with nearly 1.2 million tonnes of Ramadan-related food items, while five vessels carried over 200,000 tonnes of sugar.
Due to the lighter shortage, the unloading time of a 50,000-tonne mother vessel has increased from the usual 7–10 days to 20–30 days. In many cases, vessels remain idle for days without discharging any cargo.
631 Lighters Stuck Nationwide
Out of 1,020 registered lighter vessels operating on the Chattogram route, nearly 720 are currently stuck nationwide with cargo on board. Official data shows that 631 loaded lighters are stranded at 41 jetties across the country, while 51 others are engaged in government fertiliser transport.
Company-wise, MST Marine Enterprise controls 139 loaded lighters, Samata Shipping and Trading 101, Modern Logistics 80, TST Global Maritime 78, ANJ Trading 61, Hamidia Enterprise 51, and Qaderia Enterprise and Green Traders 58 each.
By cargo type, at least 186 lighters are carrying wheat, 60 maize, 30 lentils, 14 soybean meal, 11 soybean seed, 10 mustard seed and 17 raw sugar.
“Floating Warehouses” and Artificial Shortage
Industry insiders allege that importers increasingly prefer to keep goods on lighters rather than in land-based warehouses, as storage costs are significantly lower at sea. More critically, goods kept on lighters remain outside transparent inventory monitoring systems, making it easier to create artificial shortages and manipulate prices.
Sources further claim that the simultaneous arrival of large consignments before Ramadan was planned to create a lighter crisis, allowing importers to delay release of goods until market conditions favour higher prices.
There are also allegations that clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents are being used to control unloading schedules in coordination with importers.
Government Orders Ignored
In response to the crisis, the Department of Shipping last Thursday issued a directive ordering importers to unload any lighter vessels that have remained loaded for more than 15 days. The letter, signed by Director General Commodore Shafiul Bari, warned that the continued use of lighters as floating warehouses has created a severe vessel shortage and could destabilise essential commodity markets.
The directive named Akij Group, Nabil Group, Noapara Traders, Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries, Sheikh Brothers, Spectra Group and Arabi Agro Limited among those instructed to unload cargo within five working days or face legal action.
However, officials admit that compliance has been poor.
Taskforce, Fines and Legal Action
The Ministry of Shipping says some large importers are deliberately delaying unloading to restrict market supply. On January 20, a high-level meeting ordered all such importers to release stuck lighters within five days, warning of criminal cases for non-compliance.
On January 19, a mobile court fined two lighter vessels in Munshiganj Tk 35,000 for being used as floating warehouses. Officials also inspected 27 vessels carrying wheat, maize, gypsum and fly ash, and ordered importers—including Nabil Group, Medina Group, TK Group and others—to unload immediately.
Commodore Shafiul Bari said taskforces are being formed in Dhaka and Khulna to monitor the situation. “We are keeping constant watch. Any attempt to hoard goods or manipulate prices by delaying unloading will face regular legal action,” he said, adding that 80 lighter vessels were allocated for unloading in a single day last week.
Allegations of Political Proximity
Critics allege that the key beneficiaries of the floating-warehouse system are politically influential groups close to interim government chief Dr Muhammad Yunus. They point specifically to Jamaat-linked Nabil Group—allegedly involved in major financial irregularities through Islami Bank—and to Akij Group, owned by the sitting Trade Adviser.
As Ramadan approaches, economists and consumer rights groups warn that unless cargo is urgently released, artificial shortages could escalate, pushing up prices of essential food items and deepening public suffering..