Dhaka, June 03: Hopes for an end to a crippling strike by feeder operators in Bangladesh protesting an order that foreign vessels seek special certification rose today after the government decided to amend the law. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at a cabinet meeting late yesterday decided to amend certain provisions of a 1982 law under which the controversial certification order was issued on Thursday, prompting the start of the strike on Sunday. Shipping ministry officials said the government agreed to amend the law and bring a bill on it in the next Parliamentary session. No further details were available. In the southeastern city of Chittagong, the country's main port, officials said they were in touch with the strikers about ending the deadlock and resuming port services.

Officials of the Bangladeshi chapter of the Singapore-based Chittagong Feeder Trade Committee (CFTC), which called the strike, were not immediately available for comment.
But yesterday its Convenor Swapan Ghosh insisted the order be withdrawn.
"Our action will be on until the government scraps the order," he said.
The order, issued by the state-run mercantile marine department after a court ruling, requires all foreign vessel operators to obtain certificates stating their work cannot be carried out by Bangladeshi ships.
Some operators of foreign vessels view the move as a way to boost business for local carriers, which handle only a fraction of Bangladesh's imports and exports.
Bureau Report