Container and vessel congestion at Chattogram Port remains above pre-strike levels 17 days after workers withdrew a strike over the proposed leasing of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to a foreign operator.
Yard occupancy stood at 41,336 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) on February 26, compared with 32,111 TEUs on January 31 when the strike began, according to port data.
Congestion peaked at 42,757 TEUs on February 9, the day the strike ended.
Although volumes have eased from the peak, yard inventory remains 9,225 TEUs higher than the pre-strike level.
The port’s total storage capacity is 59,000 TEUs.
While current volumes remain below maximum capacity, elevated yard occupancy continues to strain equipment use and vessel turnaround times.
Mahfuzul Haque Shah, former director of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Times of Bangladesh that import volumes and vessel arrivals have risen ahead of Ramadan, slowing backlog clearance.
Had import volumes been lower, operations might have normalised by now, he said.
He added that both the port authority and depot owners would need additional measures to handle the pressure, questioning whether existing capacity was sufficient to clear congestion quickly.
Vessel traffic data show continued congestion at outer anchorage.
On January 31, 97 workable vessels were at the main jetty and outer anchorage, including 84 at anchorage and one container ship waiting offshore.
By February 9, workable vessels rose to 114, including 13 container ships and 98 vessels at outer anchorage.
As of February 26, workable vessels remained at 114.
Container ships waiting at anchorage declined slightly to 10, but remained well above the pre-strike level.
Meanwhile, 93 workable vessels were still stationed at outer anchorage, underscoring sustained operational pressure.
Shipping agents said vessels waiting beyond schedule incur $12,000 to $20,000 per extra day, depending on size.
Agents initially bear the demurrage cost, which is later passed to importers and reflected in consumer prices.
Chattogram Port Authority spokesperson and secretary Syed Refayet Hamim told Times of Bangladesh that about 80 per cent of the strike-related backlog had been cleared.
Imports typically rise during Ramadan, increasing pressure on operations, he said.
Congestion can be reduced if importers promptly take delivery of goods, he added.
On February 26, the port authority sent letters to stakeholder organisations urging faster cargo removal to maintain smooth operations, Hamim said.
Delivery performance has improved.
Under normal conditions, daily deliveries range between 3,500 and 4,000 TEUs.
Deliveries stood at 3,102 TEUs on January 31 and fell to zero on February 9, when operations were halted.
On February 26, deliveries reached 4,650 TEUs, exceeding the normal daily average.
Stakeholders and the port authority said sustaining the higher delivery rate would be key to restoring balance and gradually reducing yard occupancy.
