The Chattogram Port, the country’s main seaport, has achieved a record in container handling during the fiscal year 2024-2025, managing 3,296,067 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). This figure marks the highest volume in its 48-year history of container operations, which began in 1977. The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) in a media statement narrated that this represents an increase of 127,377 TEUs compared to the 3,168,690 TEUs handled in the previous fiscal year (2023-2024), reflecting a year-on-year growth of 4%.
In the fiscal years leading up to this record, the port handled:
– 3,004,142 TEUs in 2020-21
– 3,097,236 TEUs in 2021-22
– 3,255,358 TEUs in 2022-23
– 3,007,375 TEUs in 2023-24
The latest figures surpass all previous records and encompass operations from the main jetty, Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD), and Pangaon Inland Container Terminal, covering both import/export and empty containers.
In addition to container throughput, there was also growth in cargo handling and the number of ship arrivals. The port managed 130 million tonnes of open (non-containerized) cargo in FY25, an increase from 120 million tonnes in FY24—representing an 8.33% rise. Ship arrivals at the port rose to 4,077 in the last fiscal year, up from 3,971 the previous year.
Currently, 23% of all imports through Chattogram arrive in containers, while the remaining 77% are bulk or liquid cargo, including oil and chemicals. Among the vessels calling at the port:
– 45% are container ships
– 45% are bulk carriers
– 10% are liquid bulk vessels
Chattogram Port handles nearly 99% of Bangladesh’s total container trade.
CPA officials and trade analysts noted that this growth in container and cargo handling occurred despite various challenges, including multiple protest movements by National Board of Revenue (NBR) employees and ongoing global supply chain disruptions.
“This is the highest container handling figure in our history,” stated Muhammad Omar Faruk, Secretary of the CPA. “All officers, staff, and stakeholders worked with dedication to achieve this. We thank everyone for their contributions.”
Chattogram Port currently ranks 67th among the world’s busiest container ports, according to Lloyd’s List, a London-based shipping and maritime intelligence publication.
