Operational Update on the recent situation in Bangladesh

At Maersk, we are committed to providing you with the best services as well as any relevant information you need to make important decisions about your supply chain. Thus, we would like to share the latest update on the evolving situation in Bangladesh and it’s impact on operations.

As of 8 August, the interim government led by Dr. Muhammed Yunus took oath and will be leading efforts towards normalcy in the country. Mobile and internet (mobile data and Wi-fi) connectivity continue to work normally. However, there are still reports on a few cases of unrest in different parts of the country and measures are being taken to ensure law and order is to be restored.

Ports are operational and customs and port online systems continue to function normally. All necessary officials are on-site to ensure a smooth process and there is a slight increase in container movements.

Furthermore, some factories have started to open up with limited staffing and truck movements are gradually increasing. Our Container Freight Stations (CFS) continues to remain operational with essential personnel to support the processing of cargo.

It is important to note that this situation remains very fluid and constantly evolving. Ensuring the smooth movement of your cargo and the safety of our employees are our utmost priority. Accordingly, we will continue to keep a close eye on developments and take necessary safety measures as needed.

Our teams continue to work tirelessly to find solutions to keep your cargo moving and avoid further disruptions to the future transportation of your cargo. We are closely monitoring the situation on ground and will continue to share the latest updates as soon as more information is available.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this challenging time.

Please do not hesitate to contact your local Maersk representative in case of any further queries or concerns. Our teams are always available to support you.

Maersk continues to monitor the evolving situation in Bangladesh to share the latest updates on it’s impact on operations.

The government of Bangladesh has lifted the curfew as of 6 August, and businesses are allowed to operate during normal hours. Mobile and internet (mobile data and Wi-fi) connectivity has been restored once again across the nation. The most notable developments, however, are the Prime Minister’s resignation and the dissolution of the Parliament along with the announcement that an interim government is expected to be formed soon. Cases of unrest in different parts of the country have been reported. and efforts are ongoing to ensure law and order is to be restored at normalcy.

All our employees are safe and accounted for. Maersk counters are operational with a skeletal team to support customers who are walking in. All other employees are currently working from home.

Chittagong Port is operational and is allowing container movements, i.e., movement of export cargo to the port and import cargo from the port. Customs and port online systems continue to remain operational. However, there are few officials on site and container movements are slow.

Due to the ongoing situation, our Container Freight Stations (CFS) are operating with minimal staffing. Some factories have closed for operations and we are seeing limited movement of trucks into the CFS.

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, which was closed on 5 August, has resumed operations as of today, 6 August. However, many flights are getting cancelled, delayed or has reduced it’s frequency which has reduced air freight movements significantly.

As your integrated logistics partner, our aim is to always assist you in building a more efficient supply chain that runs smoothly without any delays or challenges. However, under current conditions that are beyond our control, impacts on supply chains have become unavoidable.

This situation remains very fluid and constantly evolving. Ensuring the smooth movement of your cargo and the safety of our employees are our utmost priority. Accordingly, we will continue to keep a close eye on developments and take necessary safety measures as needed.

Please be assured that we are working steadfastly to find solutions to keep your cargo moving and avoid further disruptions to the future transportation of your cargo. We are closely monitoring the situation on ground and will continue to share the latest updates as soon as more information is available.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this challenging time. Our teams will be in contact with you as soon as possible and are always available to support you. Please do not hesitate to contact your local Maersk representative in case of any further queries or concerns.

Further to our last communication on the ongoing curfew and internet outage in Bangladesh, we are writing to share with you the latest update on the impact of this situation on operations.

It is with regret that we have to inform you of an increase in disruption in Bangladesh. As a result, the government of Bangladesh has imposed an indefinite curfew starting from 18:00 hrs on 4 August until further instructions. Mobile internet services have once again been shut down and other wi-fi and broadband connectivity are sporadic and operational to a certain extent depending on the location. Furthermore, the government has also announced a holiday from 5 – 7 August (Monday – Wednesday).

Due to the current situation, container movements at the ports have been significantly impacted and are slower than normal. Similarly, our Container Freight Stations (CFS) are operational with minimal resources.

Our teams are striving hard to gather as much information as possible and we aim to provide you more information on developments on this situation as soon as we can.

We understand that this situation is not ideal and as your trusted integrated logistics partners, we will continue to endeavor towards minimizing it’s impact on your supply chains as best as we can. Our teams will be in contact with you as soon as possible and are always available to support you.

We request your understanding and patience during this challenging time. Thank you for your continued support through our partnership.

Maersk has been closely monitoring the ongoing curfew and internet outage in Bangladesh. Further to our earlier communications, we would like to provide you with the latest update regarding the impact of this situation on operations.

The government of Bangladesh has announced a relaxation of the curfew from 07:00 hrs to 20:00 hrs from 31 July – 3 August in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, and Narsing districts. The Ministry of Public Administration has announced that all public and private offices will run their operations as per their normal schedule, i.e., from 09:00 hours till 17:00 hours, from 31 July onwards.

Thus, all Maersk offices in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna, including the counters, will be operational during regular office hours for this duration.

Mobile internet has been restored nationwide although it is being experienced with slower speeds than normal. However, broadband internet services have improved significantly and are now operating at a decent bandwidth.

Over the past few days, the port congestions have been slowly easing as it works to clear the backlog. However, there are still a lot of import deliveries and export shipments that are remaining for processing. This might lead to a temporary shut out of export shipments until the backlog is cleared. The current vessel wait time has reduced to 3-4 days.

Rail freight operations continue to remain suspended by the government and there has been no further communication on an estimated resumption date. We advise customers to deliver containers directly to Chittagong port to avoid delays at the Inland Container Depot (ICD).

Maersk is committed to providing you relevant information to empower your supply chain decisions. Although this has not been an ideal situation for your business, we would like to assure you that we are continuously striving to ensure that your cargo can be moved as seamlessly as possible.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this challenging time. Our teams will be in contact with you as soon as possible and are always available to support you. Please do not hesitate to contact your local Maersk representative in case of any further queries or concerns.

Maersk continues to closely monitor the ongoing curfew and internet outage in Bangladesh. We would like to share you with the latest developments regarding the impact of this situation on operations.

The government of Bangladesh has announced a relaxation of the curfew in Dhaka and various other districts. Consequently, the curfew has been eased between 08:00 hrs – 17:00 hrs for 26-27 July 2024. Mobile internet data is still down across the nation. However, broadband internet connectivity is gradually improving in various locations, although it is still inconsistent.

Congestions at the ports are impacting the movement of containers and thereby, the overall productivity. The current vessel wait time is estimated at 4-5 days. Fortunately, the performance of Customs and Port networks has improved allowing for the resumption of online processing. This has greatly eased the documentation and approval / clearance processes.

Better internet connectivity at Container Freight Stations (CFS) has also resulted in a gradual improvement of operations. Additionally, factories have been reopened in Dhaka and Chittagong and there is an increase in the movement of cargo trucks in the country.

Please note that Maersk counters will remain open tomorrow, i.e., 27 July 2024, from 10:00 hrs – 17:00 hrs for Delivery Order release.

As your trusted integrated logistics partner, we are committed to providing you relevant information to empower your supply chain decisions. Our teams continue to closely follow the latest developments and are constantly striving to stay connected to our customers, despite the challenges of mobile and internet connectivity.

Understanding that this has not been an ideal situation for your business, we would like to assure you that we are continuously striving to ensure that your cargo can be moved as seamlessly as possible.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this challenging time. Our teams will be in contact with you as soon as possible and are always available to support you.

At Maersk, we are committed to providing our customers with all the relevant information they need to make strategic decisions about their supply chains. Thus, we would like to provide you with the latest information regarding the impact of the ongoing curfew and internet outage in Bangladesh on operations.

The government is reviewing the curfew that they had imposed in response to escalating violence and demonstrations. Internet services, mobile data networks, and public transport services have been severely disrupted. For 24th July, they have lifted the curfew between 10:00 hrs – 17:00 hrs for citizens to do their essential purchases. Additionally, broadband internet services are being restored in a phased manner as of late evening 23rd July onwards.

Mongla Port network is still not operational and we are monitoring this closely along with port authorities. Chittagong Port and customs systems are up and running, although at a slow capacity due to network issues. The port is heavily congested and current vessel wait time is 4-5 days. In addition to this, the manpower is still limited which impacts the movement of containers at the port.

Container Freight Stations (CFS) are now operational at a limited capacity given the situation. While unloading and stuffing activities have resumed, the lack of internet in those areas have resulted in slower productivity. Our teams continue to monitor the situation and hope to enhance productivity with more easing of the curfew and internet connectivity in the region.

With the gradual easing of the curfew day to day, air cargo operations are also slowly resuming. We are connecting with customers directly to discuss their import and export shipments.

Businesses have been allowed to re-open between 11:00 hrs to 15:00 hrs local time and our teams are available at the office as well as online to address any urgent queries and concerns. Our counters in Bangladesh are also operational for the same duration.

We understand that this has not been an ideal situation for your business and supply chains. Please be assured that we are continuously striving to ensure that your cargo can be moved as seamlessly as possible.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide you with as much information as we can.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this challenging time. Our teams will be in contact with you as soon as possible and are always available to support you.

The curfew imposed by the government in response to the protests and internet outage is still in place and as a result, operations continue to remain at a standstill.

This situation is challenging as it has resulted in the outage of online systems and platforms for all stakeholders across the supply chain. As customs systems are not operational, air cargo movements have been completely halted until the internet systems are back up and running.

Additionally, restrictions on movements due to the curfew has also resulted in a shortage of manpower and resources for all businesses and entities.

Despite these challenges, our teams are working hard to ensure that your cargo continues to move. With the relaxation of the curfew between 14:00 hrs – 17:00 hrs on 22nd July, we have been working with our partners and authorities to put processes in place to ensure a seamless journey for your cargo.

The port is operating with extremely limited manpower. The port’s online systems are still down resulting in no new online processing or updates on approvals. Import General Manifests (IGMs) are being filed manually by our teams with the Port authorities. However, due to the low staffing levels, the provision or denial of approvals is sporadic.

Due to the strictness of the curfew at various locations, the resulting availability of trucks and manpower means that the Container Freight Stations (CFS) are not operating at full capacity. However, taking into account available resources and safety and security conditions, our teams continue to monitor the situation and oversee offloading at CFS periodically.

Ensuring the smooth movement of your cargo and the safety of our employees are of the utmost priority for us. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide you with as much information as we can.

As your trusted integrated logistics partner, we understand that the impact this situation is having on your supply chain. Please be assured that we are continuously striving to ensure that your cargo can be moved as seamlessly as possible.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this challenging time. Our teams will be in contact with you as soon as possible and are always available to support you.

At Maersk, we are committed to providing you with the best services as well as any relevant information you need to make important decisions about your supply chain. Thus, we’d like to share with you the latest update on the operational impact of the ongoing quota reform protest in Bangladesh.

Due to the escalation of the protest, the government of Bangladesh has imposed a nationwide curfew starting the evening of 19th July 2024. All our employees are currently safe and accounted for. However, this curfew also means that all operations are currently at a standstill.

Furthermone, there is also a nationwide internet outage as a result of the situation which limits our ability to communicate further developments through any online platforms. While mobile phone lines are currently active, the connection is extremely poor and static.

Our teams are striving hard to gathering as much information as possible and preparing contingency plans to ensure that your supply chain continues to move forward. We aim to provide you more information on developments on this situation once the curfew is lifted; per the current news from the government, the tentative date of lifting of the curfew is expected to be this Sunday,i.e., 21st July 2024.

We understand that this situation is not ideal and as your trusted integrated logistics partners, we will continue to endeavour towards minimising it’s impact on your supply chains as best as we can. Our teams will be in contact with you as soon as possible and are always available to support you.

We request your understanding and patience during this challenging time. Thank you for your continued support through our partnership.