As the world's economy is still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic-induced economic slump, Chattogram port handled a new record number of containers and cargoes in the just finished fiscal year.
According to data provided by the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), the nation's busiest seaport handled 32.55 lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers in 2021–2022—including import, export, and empty ones—representing an increase of 5.11 percent from the 30.97 lakh TEUs it handled in the previous year.
Containers loaded and unloaded at the port's main jetties, the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal near Keraniganj, and the Kamalapur Inland Container Depot in Dhaka were all included in this statistic.
The port's container handling increased by 3.1% in 2020–21, 2.9% in 2019–20, and 3.28 % in 2018–19. According to figures from the CPA, boxes totaled 30.04 lakh TEUs in 2019–20, compared to 28.08 lakh TEUs in 2018–19.
Larger containers are used to carry and import the commercial items, commodities, machinery, chemical products and industrial raw material. And the goods which are export oriented are carried through containers.
The port's cargo handling increased by 3.91% in fiscal year 2022.
In 2021-22, more than 11.81 crore tons of cargo were moved through the port, up from 11.37 crore tons a year ago. In 2019-20, a total of 10.16 crore tons of goods were handled.
The CPA chairman, Rear Admiral M. Shahjahan, attributed the overall rise in cargo and container handling and vessel arrival in the last fiscal year to an increased foreign trade helped by the improved pandemic situation at home and abroad.
In Bangladesh, imports grew a staggering 41.42 per cent year-on-year to $68.67 billion in the July-April period of FY22. It was $48.55 billion in the same period a year ago, central bank data showed.
According the CPA chief Nonstop effort in expanding the port’s capacity has helped a lot in handle the record number of containers and cargoes. New equipment’s are also being added for better results.
In the recent interview with Mr. Shahjahan, he mentioned about the continuous work process of the port as it has not been closed for a single day since the pandemic started.
"We also did not face congestion whereas regional ports witnessed significant snarl-ups during the pandemic. As a result, our overall productivity has increased."
