8-metre draught vessel docks at Mongla for first time

A container ship with an 8-metre draught, the first of its size, docked at Mongla port Monday. The 186-metre long MCC Tokyo arrived from China's Shanghai. It moored at jetty No. 5 of the port with 289 containers, carrying goods weighing 7,241 metric tonnes, at 2:15pm, the Mongla Port Authority said.

The unloading of the consignment from the ship started at 3:30pm.

"The ship will leave the port after reloading goods. It was a trial run showing that ships with 8-metre draughts can also anchor at the port," Syed Zahid Hossain, local shipping agent of MCC Tokyo and managing director of Sun Trade, said.

The ship will leave the port for China Wednesday after reloading goods.

"MV Tokyo was the first ship of its size to anchor at Mongla port. It has been possible due to dredging. Previously all the ships that anchored at the jetties did not have a draught of more than seven metres," Zahid said.