Concerns are mounting among businesses about the capacity of Inland Container Depots (ICDs) to handle the growing export and import volume from Chattogram Port.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has increased the number of items managed by private-sector ICDs from 38 to 65 in just four and a half months, prompting fears that the depots may struggle to cope with the additional pressure on their existing infrastructure.
While ICD owners claim they can manage the increased workload, traders warn that the facilities are already overwhelmed by export operations, leading to delays, higher costs, and increased pressure on businesses.
Before April 8, 38 types of imported goods were handled by 19 private ICDs. Following an expansion by the NBR, an additional 28 items have been added, including staple fiber, various chemicals, and food products like milk and cream.
Importers say the ICDs are already facing difficulties handling export containers, and the increase in import goods has only exacerbated the situation. “It takes four to seven days to transfer containers from the port to the ICDs, forcing importers to pay storage fees at Chattogram Port every four days, driving up costs,” said an importer.
Chattogram C&F Agents Association President SM Saiful Alam told TIMES of Bangladesh, “ICDs lack the capacity to manage the increasing number of containers, yet the NBR continues to expand the goods list. We have raised these concerns repeatedly with the NBR, but if this continues, the cost and delivery time will inevitably rise.”
Mahfuzul Haque Shah, former director of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, added that the ICDs must expand their capacity and improve services, noting that the lack of parking facilities often causes long vehicle queues, further delaying deliveries.
Currently, Chattogram’s ICDs have a combined capacity of about 100,000 TEUs, including space for imports, exports, and empty containers. ICD owners maintain they can handle up to 15,000 TEUs of imported containers if needed.
In response to the growing concerns, the NBR issued a directive on August 14 requiring that containers be transferred from Chattogram Port to ICDs the same day they are unloaded. If full transfer isn’t possible, the remaining containers must be moved the following day. National Board of Revenue Member Kazi Mostafizur Rahman said, “If implemented properly, this directive will help alleviate importers’ difficulties.”
He also announced that two additional container scanners will be installed at the port within the month to expedite transfers.
Regarding costs, ICD owners assert that delivering an imported container from a depot costs Tk 12,605 per TEU, which is Tk 3,000 lower than delivering directly from the port. As of August 18, the 19 depots in Chattogram were handling 8,495 TEUs of import containers, 8,284 TEUs of export containers, and 59,096 TEUs of empty containers.
Ruhul Amin Shikder, secretary general of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), dismissed concerns about capacity, stating, “We have the ability to manage higher volumes of imports, as demonstrated during the 2020-2021 pandemic when Chattogram Port faced disruptions. All types of imports were efficiently handled through off-docks without complaints.”