More than 1,000 import containers bound for Dhaka Inland Container Depot are stranded at Chattogram Port after Bangladesh Railways cut container train services due to an acute locomotive shortage, disrupting the capital’s supply chain ahead of Ramadan.
As of 21 February, 1,094 twenty-foot equivalent units awaited transport to Dhaka Inland Container Depot, according to Chattogram Port Authority officials.
The backlog had swelled to nearly 2,000 containers weeks earlier, following a prolonged workers’ strike ahead of the national elections and extended election holidays, with some boxes remaining in the yard for up to 15 days after discharge.
Container train departures from Chattogram Goods Port Yard have fallen to two daily from at least four previously, industry insiders said, sharply reducing cargo capacity.
Railway officials attributed the shortfall to locomotive reallocations to passenger services and the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar line.
Each twenty-foot equivalent unit carries about 10 metric tons of goods, port data show.
With more than 1,000 units stranded, an estimated 11,000 metric tons of imports remain stuck, including perishable fruits, food items, toys, industrial raw materials, ready-made garment inputs and electronics.
Dhaka Customs Agents Association General Secretary Md Faruque Alam told Times of Bangladesh the engine shortage had severely disrupted the movement of imported goods from Chattogram Port to Dhaka Inland Container Depot.
“Consignments meant for the capital are not arriving on time, leaving importers to bear significant financial losses, particularly ahead of Ramadan and Eid when market demand peaks,” he said.
He said many containers remain stranded at Chattogram Port for extended periods, forcing importers to pay additional storage charges.
“The prolonged stay of containers at the port is increasing operational costs and putting extra pressure on traders already grappling with rising expenses,” he added.
Chattogram Port Authority convened a high-level meeting on 19 February with railway officials, stakeholders and government agencies to address congestion.
Bangladesh Railways launched a special crash programme to clear nearly 2,000 Dhaka-bound containers and formed two task forces to monitor container handling and train operations in real time.
Under the programme, railway authorities pledged to increase container train frequency and accelerate loading and unloading at Dhaka Inland Container Depot.
The port authority formally requested at least four container trains daily, capable of moving about 200 twenty-foot equivalent units.
Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim said an average of two and a half container trains operated daily over the past two days, slightly above earlier levels.
Port traffic department officials said locomotive allocation had improved marginally since the task force was formed, gradually reducing the backlog.
Bangladesh Railway Eastern Zone General Manager Md Shuboktagin said the crisis partly stemmed from operational pressure in November and December 2025, when additional passenger trains were introduced.
The diversion of locomotives created shortages for freight services, he said, adding daily engine allocation for container trains had risen to three or four and could increase to six or seven in the coming weeks.
The disruption comes amid a longer-term decline in rail-based container movement between Chattogram and Dhaka.
Port statistics show 44,112 twenty-foot equivalent units were transported by rail to Dhaka Inland Container Depot in fiscal year 2023–24.
The figure fell to 36,836 in fiscal year 2024–25, a drop of 7,276 units or about 16.5 per cent.
Compared with fiscal year 2018–19, when 44,031 units were moved, the current volume is lower by about 16.34 per cent.
In tonnage terms, 403,649 tons of import goods were carried by rail in fiscal year 2023–24, declining to 373,724 tons in fiscal year 2024–25, down 29,925 tons or roughly 7.4 per cent.
Business leaders warned that without long-term fleet expansion and improved locomotive allocation, rail freight could face sustained pressure, increasing port congestion and shifting more cargo to road transport.
