An operation involving the mooring of a Chinese goods-carrying vessel at Chittagong port was started on Monday by a shipping company operating on the Chittagong-China maritime route.

Rajib Chowdhury, Assistant Terminal Manager (Control) at Chittagong Port Authority, revealed that the MV Kota Angun, the first ship on this route, anchored at Ch Port jetty -13 early on Monday. The ship was carrying 552 containers from Port of Ningbo-Zhushan, China.

A consortium of ships owned by multiple organizations has joined in this service named China-Chittagong Express (CCE), Rajib said.

MV Kota Angoon sailed from the Port of Ningbo-Zhushan, one of the world's busiest seaports of China, on September 7 and reached Chittagong in nine days via Shanghai and Shekou.

Previously a goods-carrying mother vessel used to take 20 to 25 days to reach Chittagong Port from China as those vessels were travelling through Singapore, Malaysia or Colombo.

Syed Mohammad Arif, President of the Shipping Agent Association said, the new route would help improve our trade with China.

Bangladesh imports machineries and raw materials for garment manufacturing and export sector from China while Bangladesh’s export basket include jute yarn, hide and processed hair, he said.

A lot of goods are imported from China to Bangladesh. So operating a direct ship on the China-Chittagong route may be quite potential, he observed.