Chattogram Port, Bangladesh’s premier seaport, has achieved a new milestone by handling a record 3.29 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers in the 2024-25 financial year, marking a 4 per cent increase compared to 3.17 million TEUs in FY24, according to official data.

This represents a rise of 127,377 TEUs from the previous year and the highest volume of container handling in the port’s 48-year history since it began container operations in 1977.

Omar Faruk, Secretary of the Chattogram Port Authority, said in Chattogram that this figure surpassed the previous record of 3.25 million TEUs set in FY22. ‘This achievement was made possible through the sincere and collective efforts of all stakeholders, including the dedication of employees, officials, staff and business partners. We aim to maintain this momentum of growth and efficiency in the days ahead,’ he added.

According to London-based shipping publication Lloyd’s List, Chattogram Port ranked 67th among the world’s 100 busiest ports in 2024.

Saidul Islam, Deputy Commissioner of the Chattogram Custom House — the country’s largest customs station — reported revenue collection of Tk 75,432 crore in FY25, up 9.71 per cent from Tk 68,755.7 crore in FY24.

The port also handled 130.72 million tonnes of cargo in FY25, an increase from 123.24 million tonnes the previous year. A total of 4,077 vessels called at the port during the period.

Mr Faruk acknowledged the significant challenges faced throughout the year, including the July uprising, prolonged flooding, transport strikes, holidays during Eid festivals and disruptions caused by National Board of Revenue officials’ protests and subsequent shutdowns. These incidents delayed port operations by approximately two months.

He noted that without the shutdown in the final two to three days of FY25, container handling could have reached an impressive 3.3 million TEUs.

Historical data shows container handling figures at the port as follows: 3,004,142 TEUs in 2020-21, 3,097,236 in 2021-22, 3,255,358 in 2022-23, and 3,007,375 in 2023-24.

These figures cover operations at the main jetty, Kamalapur Inland Container Depot, and Pangaon Inland Container Terminal, encompassing imports, exports, and empty containers. Nearly 99 per cent of Bangladesh’s container trade is processed through Chattogram Port, with the remainder handled by Mongla Port.

Moihiuddin Chowdhury, Director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that maintaining global-standard efficiency at the port is vital, despite fluctuations in trade volume. ‘Chattogram Port and Customs are at the heart of our export-import trade,’ he said.

He welcomed the record container handling but stressed the need to avoid disruptions caused by protests and demands that affected port and customs operations in recent months. ‘To increase efficiency and sustain robust growth, such disruptions must be abandoned,’ he urged.

Chattogram port officials highlighted that automation services, the introduction of an e-gate pass system, modernisation of the container operating system, and various infrastructure improvements were key factors behind the record growth.