Chittagong Port, Bangladesh’s primary seaport, is on track to achieve record-high container and cargo handling this year, following a significant decline over the past two years.
Port officials and industry stakeholders attribute this resurgence to a revival in foreign trade activities, which had been sluggish due to global challenges such as the Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East. Domestic issues, including a severe shortage of US dollars and persistently high inflation, have also impacted trade volumes.
In 2023, annual container handling at Chattogram Port decreased by 2.92 per cent year-on-year, totaling 30.51 lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). However, as of November, the port has already processed 29.92 lakh TEUs, reflecting a 7.55 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) compiled these figures by counting the number of import, export, and empty containers loaded and unloaded at the port’s main jetties, the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Keraniganj, and the Kamalapur Inland Container Depot in Dhaka.
Notably, the port surpassed the 3 million TEUs threshold required to maintain its status in the “Three Million Club” early this month. With current trends, port officials are optimistic that container handling will exceed the previous record of 32.15 lakh TEUs set in 2021.
The average monthly container handling currently stands at 2.72 lakh TEUs, with February recording the lowest volume at 2.45 lakh TEUs. Additionally, Chattogram Port has managed to handle a total of 11.28 crore tonnes of cargo over the past 11 months, marking a year-on-year growth of approximately 2 per cent.
CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk noted that the country’s import-export activities have picked up pace this year, positively influencing container and cargo handling volumes. Syed M Arif, president of the Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association, pointed out that acute container congestion earlier this year, caused by political unrest during July and August, has gradually eased, allowing for a faster turnaround in container and cargo handling.
As the year progresses, Chittagong Port’s performance continues to reflect a robust recovery in Bangladesh’s trade activities.
