Chittagong Port, known as the lifeline of the country's economy, has set a new record in container handling in 2024-2025 fiscal year despite various challenges.
Container handling at Chittagong Port has been hampered for about two months due to adverse conditions like July uprising, prolonged flooding, long Eid holiday, work abstention by customs employees and transport strike.
Around 31,71,779 TEUs of containers have been handled at the port till June 15 in the current fiscal year, which is 4.63per cent more than that of the same period of the previous fiscal.
Country's economy was in a dire straits until last September as export-import trade came to a standstill due to such obstacles. However, the port authorities have been able to handle a significant number of containers.
Chittagong Port Authority Member (Harbor and Marine) Captain Ahmed Amin Abdullah said the country saw a rise in export-import trade during the period and it has been possible thanks to various reforms of the port activities.
Ruhul Amin Sikder Biplob, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA), an organisation of off-dock owners, said, off-docks are handling almost all the export products and therefore, this improvement is indicative of the country’s export sector’s growth.
“If container handling at ports increases, country's economy improves. Currently, we see a possibility of 11 percent growth in exports and 10 percent in imports,” he added.
Apart from the Chittagong Port, 21 private off-docks have set a record in handling 6,88000 export containers and 2,54000 import containers in the current fiscal year.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Director M Mohiuddin Chowdhury said efforts have been made to keep the RMG business running amid adverse conditions.
Garment traders claim that the garment sector maintaining export target despite crisis. As a result, about goods worth $30 billion have been exported through Chittagong Port until March of the current fiscal. Similarly, raw materials for various industries, including RMG units have arrived.
Chittagong Port has handled 31 lakh more containers in the current fiscal year, handling 125 million tones of cargo. At the same time, 3,900 ships carrying goods have arrived at the port. The root of this success lies in the direct guidance of the Ministry of Shipping, overall cooperation and relentless supervision of the board members of the Chittagong Port Authority and the tireless work and sincere efforts of the port officials and employees.
Chittagong Port handled 31,68 690 TEUs of containers in the last 2023-2024 fiscal year. However, with 15 days left for the end of the current fiscal year, container handling marks a rise compared to that of the previous fiscal. If the current trend of container handling continues, the container handling of Chittagong Port will touch a new milestone by June 30.
According to the Lloyd's List, Chittagong Port ranks 67th among the world’s 100 busiest ports. This ranking is mainly based on container handling capacity.
Chittagong Port handled 31,68,690 TEUs containers in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and 30,07,375 TEUs containers in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
