The lack of adequate truck terminals in Chattogram has left thousands of cargo trucks, prime movers and covered vans with no choice but to park on city streets every day. The result is chronic traffic congestion, blocking major roads and making life difficult for pedestrians and passengers alike.
According to transport owners and workers, around 10,000 cargo vehicles enter Chattogram daily through the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway. Of them, more than 5,000 carry imported and essential consumer goods to the port, while another 3,500 trucks bring export cargo from different districts to 21 privately operated inland container depots (ICDs). But with limited parking facilities, the situation has become unbearable.
Chowdhury Zafar Ahmed, General Secretary of the Inter-District Goods Transport Organization Truck and Covered Van Owners Association, said nearly 10,000 goods-laden vehicles move through the city’s key commercial areas every day, including Chattogram Port, Majhirghat, Chaktai, Khatunganj, Reazuddin Bazar, and Pahartali.
“Only about 55 per cent of these vehicles can use parking facilities in private depots, port yards, and government-designated areas,” he said. “The remaining 45 per cent are forced to park illegally on the streets, causing massive tailbacks and chaos.”
Zafar added that trucks carrying export cargo face the worst difficulties. Because of long queues and limited handling capacity, drivers often wait three to seven days before entering the depots. “During this time, they park on roadsides without toilets, food, or bathing facilities. At night, they face theft, harassment, and even robbery,” he said.
The 21 private ICDs located across Patenga, EPZ, Faujdarhat, and Shikalbaha handle most of the country’s export-bound goods, especially ready-made garments. But their combined parking capacity covers only about 70 per cent of the vehicles that arrive daily, forcing hundreds of trucks to spill onto nearby roads, including parts of the Outer Ring Road and the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.
Ruhul Amin Sikder, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), said the problem intensifies before Eid when export volumes surge.
Spot visits on October 28 found rows of covered vans lined up along both sides of the road near the Chittagong EPZ and Outer Ring Road, waiting for entry slots. Similar scenes were seen on October 30 in Kadamtali, Majhirghat, and Sadarghat, where domestic cargo trucks clogged main roads and narrow lanes.
Truck driver Mohammad Mokaddes from Manikganj said he had been waiting two days to unload his export garments at the OCL Depot. “We live inside the truck for days. There’s no water, food or security. Thieves steal fuel and parts at night,” he said.
Local residents are equally frustrated. “There are a few truck terminals near the Karnaphuli River, but they are nowhere near enough,” said Shah Emran of Majhirghat. “Trucks block roads and alleys, making walking difficult.”
Unless proper truck terminals are built soon, both the city’s transport system and its economy risk coming to a standstill.
