Chattogram Port, the country’s principal seaport, has set a new record in container handling, transporting nearly 3.296 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) during the just-concluded 2024-25 fiscal year. This marks the highest volume of container throughput in the port’s 48-year history of container operations, reflecting a 4 percent increase compared to the previous fiscal year.
Port Secretary Omar Faruk stated that the record volume was achieved through the port’s four terminals, Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD), and the Pangaon Inland Water Terminal. The figure includes imported, exported, and empty containers.
Commenting on the concentration of container traffic, Almas Shimul, Additional Managing Director of GPH Ispat, noted that while Bangladesh has two seaports capable of handling containers—Chattogram and Mongla—approximately 99 percent of all container traffic is routed through Chattogram, with Mongla accounting for just 1 percent. He emphasized the need to decentralize operations and strengthen the capacity of the second port.
According to the port authority, the previous record was set in FY2021-22 when the port handled around 3.25 million containers. This year’s performance has surpassed that benchmark, despite several disruptions in port operations toward the end of the fiscal year, including work slowdowns by customs officials. Officials believe the port could have reached the 3.3 million milestone had these obstacles not occurred.
Chattogram Port Authority first began handling containers 48 years ago, and this year’s performance stands as the highest since that inception.