Export cargo congestion at Chattogram’s private Inland Container Depots (ICDs) has eased sharply after Eid-ul-Adha, bringing operations close to normal after weeks of pressure from advance shipments sent by exporters before factory closures for the holidays.
Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) data show export container stocks at the 21 private ICDs fell to 7,924 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) on 1 June from a peak of 14,877 TEUs on 24 May, nearly halving within a week as vessels gradually cleared cargo during the holiday period.
The decline also reduced long queues of trucks and covered vans that had been stranded outside depots waiting to unload export goods.
Bangladesh Covered Van Truck Prime Mover Goods Transport Owners Association Secretary General Chowdhury Zafar Ahmed said between 5,000 and 6,000 cargo vehicles had been stuck outside depots before Eid because of severe export congestion.
“The pressure on export cargo vehicles gradually declined during the Eid holidays. At present, no vehicles carrying export goods are waiting outside the depots. The situation has returned to normal,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
The fall in truck arrivals reflected the broader easing trend.
The ICDs received 4,628 export cargo trucks on 24 May and 4,282 on 19 May. By 1 June, the number had dropped sharply to 1,753.
Export container stocks stood at 10,742 TEUs on 19 May before climbing to 14,877 TEUs on 24 May.
During the same period, import container stocks stood at 9,149 TEUs on 19 May and 7,959 TEUs on 24 May, while empty container inventories were 52,129 TEUs and 47,890 TEUs respectively.
Under normal conditions, Chattogram’s ICDs maintain around 8,000 TEUs each of export and import containers.
Industry insiders said exporters dispatched shipments earlier than usual to ensure timely delivery to overseas buyers before garment factories closed for Eid.
While export congestion has eased, pressure is now building in the import segment.
Import container stocks climbed to 13,814 TEUs on 1 June from 7,959 TEUs on 24 May, an increase of about 5,855 TEUs during the holiday period.
At the same time, empty container inventories fell to 46,135 TEUs.
Industry stakeholders said the figures showed export backlogs had largely cleared, although imported goods were accumulating at depots because many importers, transport operators and commercial establishments remained partially inactive during the holidays.
BICDA officials said temporary pressure before Eid is common as exporters send large volumes of cargo to ICDs several weeks ahead of factory closures.
The rush creates short-term operational pressure at depots.
Since shipping activities continue during the holidays, export containers are gradually loaded onto vessels, helping stock levels return to normal.
A different trend is now visible in the import segment as slower delivery of imported goods from depots continues during the holidays.
Industry stakeholders expect the situation to improve once regular business activities resume after the holidays and import cargo deliveries return to normal levels.
Although Chattogram Port and the private ICDs continued limited operations during Eid, traders and depot operators said Bangladesh largely avoided disruption to its export supply chain.
The 21 private ICDs in Chattogram play a central role in Bangladesh’s export-import trade.
Export goods, particularly readymade garments, are transported to the depots before being stuffed into containers and loaded onto vessels according to shipping schedules.
The depots also handle delivery of 65 categories of imported goods and serve as storage facilities for empty containers.
