Chittagong Port. File photo
Exports of goods are increasing. Imports have also normalized after overcoming the dollar crisis. Relying on import and export, Chittagong Port, which is ranked 67th in the world, has reached a new height in container transport. In the recently concluded 2024-25 fiscal year, about 3.296 million single containers were transported through this main seaport of the country. This is the highest number in the history of container transport in the past 48 years.
The previous highest record was in the 2021-22 fiscal year. 3.25 million containers were transported, which is now the second highest. The third highest number of container transport is recorded in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
According to the port, 3.168 million units of containers were transported in the 2023-24 fiscal year, which means that container transport has increased by about 4 percent in a year. These containers were transported at the four terminals of Chittagong Port, Kamalapur Container Depot, and Pangao Naval Terminal. This includes import and export cargo and empty containers.
Despite the growth in container transport, the port's activities were disrupted the most in the outgoing fiscal year compared to other times. The port's activities were disrupted due to various reasons, including the July-August agitation program at the beginning of the fiscal year, the customs shutdown program at the end of the fiscal year, and the transport strike.
Chittagong Port Secretary Omar Faruk said that container transport at Chittagong Port would have increased further if there had been no agitation program at the end of the fiscal year. Even then, the success of Chittagong Port came about due to everyone's combined efforts.
23 percent of the total cargo transported at Chittagong Port is transported in containers. The remaining 77 percent is non-containerized goods, such as open goods, fuel, and edible oil. Although the quantity of goods is less, the most valuable goods are transported in containers. Industrial raw materials, capital equipment, and commercial goods come in containers. Again, the entire export goes in containers. There are two ports for container transport in Bangladesh. Of this, 99 percent of containers are transported through Chittagong Port. 1 percent is transported through Mongla.
Source: Online/GFMM
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