Chattogram Bureau :
The number of containers and bulk cargoes being handled at Chattogram Port, the country’s premier seaport, has surged in recent times, improving its trade efficiency, despite a decrease in the number of ship arrivals. Stakeholders have attributed this growth to relatively larger ships now being able to dock at the port’s jetty with more containers and goods on board, improving trade efficiency.
According to the port’s data, in the nine months from July to March of fiscal year 2023-2024, 3,001 commercial ships from various countries docked at the port. The figure is a slight decline from the 3,231 ships that arrived during the same period in the previous financial year, marking a decrease of 7.12% in ship arrivals.
However, despite the decline, container handling at the port has increased by 7.64%, with 178,666 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) more containers being handled compared to the previous fiscal year. Similarly, cargo handling has also witnessed an increase of 4.20%.
Chattogram Port officials and stakeholder institutions said that enhanced navigation facilities along with the arrival of larger vessels have allowed for the transportation of more goods despite the reduced number of ship arrivals.
Before 2023, the port only accommodated ships with a maximum length of 190 metres and a draft of 9.5 metres. With an aim to enhance the port’s capabilities, the UK-based organisation HR Wallingford conducted a survey, “Details Hydrologic & Hydraulic Study in the Karnaphuli River”, based on which the port authorities took the strategic decision to allow for the docking of ships of up to 200 metres in length and with a draft of 10 metres at the jetty from January 2023.
As a result, container ships are now able to carry an additional 1,000 plus containers and up to 15,000 tonnes of goods in open cargo ships. Freight charges have also come down as more goods are being transported.