The shipping ministry directed foreign shipping companies not to take compensation charges for containers from importers during the general holidays amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The directive will be effective for the containers imported from March 27 to May 30 during the general holidays.

The shipping companies, which have already collected charges, have been also asked to coordinate.

Syed Ariful Islam, director general of the Department of Shipping, gave the directions after a meeting at the shipping department on Sunday.

Agents of foreign shipping companies and representatives of port user organisations were present in the meeting.

Ariful Islam said foreign shipping companies would not be allowed to collect compensation charges for containers from the importers during the ongoing general holidays.

“We will inform the owners of the shipping companies about the ministry’s decision,” said Captain Ahmed Shahed Chowdhury, director of Bangladesh Shipping Agents’ Association.

Unloading of products was delayed as containers piled up amid the pandemic. The importers had to pay a huge amount of US dollars due to this situation.