Dhaka - Activities at Bangladesh's prime Chittagong port resumed Friday after the authorities dredged up the Karnaphuli channel blocked by a vessel that sank on Tuesday, officials said.

"Movements of ships between the port and the outer anchorage resumed in the morning after the channel was deepened and widened through dredging," an official at the Chittagong Port Authority said.

More than 50 lighter vessels were waiting on the outer anchorage in the Bay of Bengal while nine others stranded at the port jetties following the sinking of the clinker-laden vessel in the Karnaphuli River, blocking the harbour's entrance.

"Nine feeder vessels waiting on the outer anchorage entered into the port after the resumption of port operation," secretary to the port authority Syed Farhaduddin said.

But the sunken vessel could not be salvaged from the riverbed until Friday. One more week may be needed to remove the sunken ship from the estuary and bring it to shore, according to port officials.

Naval forces were engaged in the salvation drive.

Bangladesh's Shipping Minister Afsarul Amin, while visiting the port Friday, asked the authorities for quick salvation of the sunken ship to bring back normal navigation of the river.

He also ordered steps to purchase another recovery vessel to avoid such situations in future.

Caught in stormy weather, the lighter vessel capsized at the estuary of the Karnaphuli River, stopping movements of ships to and from the port and the outer anchorage into the Bay of Bengal.

The accident left one crew member of the vessel killed. The authorities launched an investigation into the accident. (dpa)