The ongoing dollar crisis, inflation, Russia-Ukraine war and reluctance of banks to open LCs, global recession have led to a collapse in import-export trade through Chattogram port. As a result, the income of the port has started to decrease. Shipping companies involved in the import-export trade and those involved in the goods transport sector are in trouble.
The volume of container handling at the port has decreased in the last 3-4 months. This has reduced the revenue of Chittagong port-customs by thousands of crores of rupees. The income of shipping agents involved in import-export operations has decreased despite the decrease in ship fares. The demand for trucks, lorries and prime movers involved in the transportation of goods has decreased due to the decrease in imports and exports. As a result, the income of the goods transport sector has also fallen. .
Various luxury products including raw materials, fruits, cosmetics are imported through Chattogram Port. However, the import of commercial goods has decreased due to dollar crisis, increase in value of dollar and government's disincentive to import luxury goods. Garment export has suffered a big blow. As a result, the port yard was full of containers last year, but now it is mostly empty.
If this continues, there is a danger that the position of Chattogram Port will deteriorate from the global list of 100 busiest ports in the world.
Chattogram port handled a total of 32 lakh 14 thousand TEUS containers from January to December last year. Its volume was 29 lakh 44 thousand TEUS containers in January to November. Container handling during the same period from January to November this year was only 29 lakh 3 thousand TEUS. 41 thousand TEUS container handling has decreased this year compared to last year due to the decrease in import-export trade through Chattogram port.
According to Chattogram Port sources, Chattogram Port has significantly reduced container handling from August to November this year. Compared to last year, container handling decreased by 5 thousand TEUS in August, 21 thousand TEUS in September, 56 thousand TEUS in October, 22 thousand TEUS in November.
At present the container holding capacity of Chattogram Port is 53 thousand 518 TEUS. If the import-export trade is normal, there are more than 40 thousand containers in Chattogram port yard. At present there are only 29 thousand 478 TEUS containers in the port yard. The entire container storage space is left empty.
Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Omar Fariq said that the amount of containers handled in Chattogram port last year was less than this year. Container handling decreased from August to November. The ship is leaving the port half empty due to lack of cargo containers. As a result Chattogram port will face this problem.
The transport sector is in crisis due to decrease in import-export trade through Chattogram port. An average of 12,000 trucks, covered vans and containerized prime movers move daily at Chattogram Port during normal hours. Due to lack of demand, the use of cars has decreased a lot.
The large queues of these vehicles engaged in the transportation of goods are not seen now. Many yards inside the port are empty. A covered van, a lorry, was seen lying idle.
After the corona infection subsided, there was a terrible mess in the global goods transportation system. By capitalizing on this, the freight charges for transporting goods were high. Traders had to shell out up to $17,000 to ship a 40-foot container to the United States. At present, it has come down to 4 thousand dollars, but Bangladeshi businessmen are not able to enjoy the benefit of the decrease in ship fare due to the decrease in import-export trade.
Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association President Mohammad Arif said that shipping companies will not be able to do business if the current situation continues. If the raw material does not come then many factories will be closed. If imports decrease, our business will be negatively affected.
Chowdhury Zafar Ahmed, Secretary General of Bangladesh Covered Van Truck, Primemover Commodity Transport Owners Association said, due to increase in diesel price, the rent of each of our vehicles has increased by 3-4 thousand taka. But due to reduced transportation of goods, we are finding it difficult to recover this money.
