Day-Long Strike Deals New Blow To Bangladesh Shipping Sector

A day-long nationwide strike called by Bangladesh's opposition parties has dealt a fresh blow to the country's shipping sector, already hit by political unrest in the country, according to officials and traders. Fifty ships were stranded at berths and at the outer anchorages on Nov. 16, said a traffic director at Chittagong Port, which handles 80 percent of the country's exports and imports. Twenty-nine more ships were stranded at Bangladesh's only other port at Mongla, where casual workers have been on strike since Nov. 9 demanding permanent jobs, officials said.