Ctg port sets record, eyes 3.7m TEUs in 2025
Business Report :
Chattogram Port is aiming to handle 3.7 million containers by the end of 2025 after achieving record monthly throughput at the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) in August.
Captain Md Zahid Hossain, chief operating officer of NCT, announced the target at a press briefing on Wednesday. He said the terminal processed 122,517 TEUs last month-up 27.6percent from 96,000 TEUs in August 2024.
“The sharp rise in efficiency since Chittagong Dry Dock Limited (CDDL) took over management on 7 July has been the key driver,” Hossain explained. “Streamlined operations have cut vessel turnaround times and reduced waiting at the outer anchorage, helping us hit record volumes.”
If the momentum continues, annual handling could climb from 3.275 million TEUs in 2024 to 3.7 million in 2025, backed by stronger management, better equipment use, and tighter maintenance. In 2024, container handling rose 7.4percent year-on-year, but the port slipped to 68th in Lloyd’s List of the world’s top 100 ports, as Saudi Arabia’s Port of Dammam overtook it.Chattogram ranked 58th in 2019.
Chattogram Port handles over 90 percent of Bangladesh’s international trade and is widely considered the lifeline of the economy. The New Mooring Terminal, inaugurated in 2007 with five berths, is the largest container facility at the port.
For years, the port has struggled with congestion, vessel delays, and slow container delivery, drawing criticism from businesses and international shipping lines. On several occasions, ships had to wait days at the outer anchorage to berth, raising costs for exporters and importers alike.
The government has been pushing for operational reforms and public-private partnerships to enhance efficiency and restore competitiveness. The decision to hand over the New Mooring Terminal to Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, a state-owned enterprise with expertise in shipbuilding and dockyard operations, was part of this reform drive.
Authorities hope the new management will further reduce vessel turnaround times, boost container handling, and reposition Chattogram Port as a more reliable regional hub.