Bangladesh's main sea port was at a standstill on Wednesday as workers began a strike over changes to the agreed procedures on hiring dock labourers.

Chittagong Port Authority plans to scrap a 20-year old agreement that only allowed stevedores to hire labourers from the registered trade unions.

The Authority believes the port would be more efficient if stevedores had more freedom in hiring workers.

But trade unions have vowed to continue the strike action - supported by 30,000 port workers - until the decision is reversed.

Shutdowns

So far 30 foreign ships carrying 300,000 tonnes of cargo are stranded at the port, the ports traffic officer has said.

Chittagong Port handles 80% of Bangladesh's exports and imports traffic.

Trade unions are also unhappy about plans for a US firm to build a $500m (�342m) private container terminal near the Chittagong Port.

If Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) is given the go-ahead to build the terminal, it would become Bangladesh's largest foreign investment project.

But the government has been accused of not putting the deal out to open tender.

Trade unions are also fearful of the impact the new terminal would have on jobs at the existing port.

For its part, the government denies it has done anything wrong in the tender process.

Strike action over the proposed new terminal and stoppages in support of political parties have seen Chittagong Port shut down for a total of 33 days since 1997.