Chittagong Port will become the hub of regional cargo transportation - Port Chairman

Chittagong Bureau    |    ০৫:২৬ পিএম, ২০২৩-০৮-২২

Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail said that Chittagong Port is the lifeblood of Bangladesh's economy due to the economic development of Bangladesh and expansion of business and trade. 92% of the country's total trade and 98% of containerized goods are transported through Chittagong port. Chittagong Port is handling most of the country's foreign trade. The increasing trade demand of the country, geographical locational importance of regional communication and port-centric development thinking are constantly increasing the importance of Chittagong Port. The aim now is to become a regional freight hub.
On Tuesday (August 22) at 12 noon at the port conference room, he said these things during an exchange of views with journalists of electronic, print and online media working in Chittagong.
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The port chairman said that the government is active in continuous development of Chittagong port. There have been significant developments like adding 10m draft and 200m length ships, direct shipping with Europe, Matarbari Deep Sea Port Development Project, construction of Patenga Container Terminal, expansion of outer berth, VTMIS, digitalization, addition of state-of-the-art key side gantry cranes for container handling. in an era
He said the average length of stay of ships at the port is a very important indicator. Currently container ships dock at the jetty within one to two days of their arrival at the outer berth, with on-arrival berthing being provided in some cases. Chittagong port handled 30 lakh 7 thousand 344 TEUS in the financial year 2022-23. General cargo movement has been 11 crore 82 lakh 96 thousand 743 metric tons. Vessel handling has been 4253. The Port Authority has started formulating and implementing specific plans to address the growing handling challenges. Chittagong Port Authority is carrying out 24×7 operations through inter-coordination with other organizations/agencies supporting port operations like Customs Department, Banks, Shipping Agents. Moreover, Chittagong Port's uninterrupted operations and efficiency are behind the achievement of nearly 4 percent growth in revenue collection of Chittagong Customs compared to last year.
Referring to the multifaceted development projects of the government, he said, for this purpose, the Chittagong Port Authority is constructing new terminals with the aim of expanding short and medium term cargo and container handling facilities in view of the future demand for faster clearance of imported goods and faster shipping of exportable goods. The construction of Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) with 584 meters long berth has already been completed. Heavy lift jetty, bay-terminal and "Matarbari Port Development" projects in Cox's Bazar District's Maheshkhali Upazila under implementation by Chittagong Port Authority are progressing at a fast pace in order to keep container, cargo and ship handling uninterrupted.
The current capacity of Chittagong Port will increase many times if the construction work of Bay-Terminal and "Matarbari Port Development" projects in Maheshkhali Upazila of Cox's Bazar district is completed.
Port Secretary Omar Farooq along with senior officials of the Port Authority were present.