The suspension programme was withdrawn following a four-hour long discussion with State Minister for Shipping Mohammad Quamrul Islam at his office last night.

The Singapore-based feeder vessel operators also agreed to refund the congestion surcharges realised since August 20.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) also agreed to withdraw the cases it filed against the five feeder vessel operators.

The CFTC stopped loading and unloading containers at Chittagong Port following a contempt case filed by the BGMEA for realising congestion surcharge from June 5.

Local feeder operating company HRC Shipping, however, did not participate in the boycott programme. The QC Shipping Line, another feeder vessel operators, had already resumed operation on Sunday.

SC Lim, convener of CFTC, from Singapore led the delegation of the feeder vessel operators at the meeting also attended by the leaders of BGMEA and the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI).

"The crisis has been resolved and the feeder operators agreed to start loading and unloading of goods at the port," Quamrul Islam told The Daily Star after the meeting.

Our correspondent in Chittagong wrote, as the suspension programme continued, two feeder vessels left the port jetty after offloading containers yesterday without taking any container of export cargo.

The vessels were likely to stay in the outer anchorage area waiting for the decision of the meeting.