Chattogram Bureau :
Despite slight improvements, container congestion continues to disrupt operations at Chattogram Port, with an unusually high number of containers crowding its yard and private inland container depots (ICDs), following the recent political upheavals and devastating floods.
Port officials say the congestion is delaying the handling of import and export cargo.
Although vessel waiting times at the port have improved, dropping from nine days to four-five days at the outer anchorage, pressure on the port’s yards and depots remains high, they say.
According to the officials, at least 5,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) of import containers need to be cleared to restore normal operations of the port. Likewise, the depots must reduce their load by 5,000 TEUs of export containers.
Full normalisation is expected to take more than 15 days, they added.Md Omar Faruk, secretary of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), said the situation is gradually improving as importers continue to collect their consignmsents.