BICDA increases container handling charges by up to Tk2,000 at PCT
The charges have increased by Tk1,000 for 20-foot containers and Tk2,000 for 40-45-foot containers compared to previous rates
The Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) has raised handling charges for import, export, and empty containers at the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT), which is operated by Red Sea Gateway Terminal International at Chattogram Port.
"The charges have increased by Tk1,000 for 20-foot containers and Tk2,000 for 40-45-foot containers compared to previous rates," BICDA Secretary General Ruhul Amin Sikder told The Business Standard today (13 March).
According to a notification signed by BICDA Secretary General Ruhul Amin Sikder yesterday (12 March), the new rates set to take effect from 1 April.
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Under the updated charges, an imported 20-foot container will now cost Tk13,605 to handle, while a 40-foot container will cost Tk16,567.
For export containers, transport charges have been set at Tk7,187 for a 20-foot container and Tk10,250 for a 40-foot container. The handling charges for empty containers have also been adjusted, with a 20-foot container now costing Tk2,705 and a 40-foot container Tk5,410, the notification added.
According to BICDA, 38 types of goods designated by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), including food products, are transported from Chattogram Port to 19 inland container depots (ICDs) in the city.
Additionally, empty containers are transferred from the port to these depots. Meanwhile, export goods—such as garments and other products from various factories across the country—are sent to the depots, loaded into containers, and then transported to the port for shipment.
Previously, these ICD services were provided at Chattogram Port's NCT, CCT, and GCB terminals. However, export and empty container handling operations began at PCT last year, with import container handling scheduled to commence in April.
PCT was constructed at a cost of Tk1,230 crore using Chattogram Port's own funds, with the project completed in June 2022.
In December 2023, the port authority signed a 22-year agreement with Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) to manage the facility. The terminal began commercial operations on 10 June 2024.
