Ctg port handles record 32.96 lakh containers in FY25, revenue hits Tk75,432 crore

Chattogram Port, the country's main seaport, has set a new record in container handling, registering a 4% growth in the 2024–25 fiscal year. According to official data, the port handled 32,96,067 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) during the year—an increase of 1,27,377 TEUs from the previous year's 31,68,690 TEUs.

This marks the highest volume of container throughput in the 48-year history of container operations at the port, which began in 1977.

Simultaneously, the Chattogram Custom House, the country's largest customs station, collected Tk75,432 crore in revenue in FY 2024–25—up from Tk 68,755.7 crore in the previous fiscal year. This reflects a 9.71% growth, or an increase of Tk6,676.3 crore.

Officials from both the port and customs said that the figures could have been even higher if operational disruptions had not occurred in the final weeks of the fiscal year due to protests and work stoppages by NBR officials. They estimated that container throughput might have surpassed 3.3 million TEUs, and revenue collection would have exceeded current levels.

Throughout the fiscal year, port and customs activities were intermittently disrupted due to several issues: anti-discrimination student protests, two Eid holidays, transport strikes, and multiple phases of work abstentions and a complete shutdown by NBR officials.

According to Chattogram Port data, container handling in previous fiscal years was: 30,04,142 TEUs in 2020–21, 30,97,236 TEUs in 2021–22, 32,55,358 TEUs in 2022–23, 30,07,375 TEUs in 2023–24. 

The container handling figures include operations from the main jetty, Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD), and the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal, covering both import-export and empty containers.

Cargo and ship handling rise 

Chattogram Port has recorded notable growth in both cargo and vessel handling in the fiscal year 2024-2025.

According to a press release from the Chattogram Port Authority, the port handled 13,07,24,783 tonnes of cargo and received 4,077 ships during this period.

In comparison, the port managed 12,32,42,748 tonnes of cargo and received 3,971 ships in the previous fiscal year (2023-2024). This marks an increase of 74,82,035 metric tons in cargo volume and an additional 106 ships.

Port officials attribute this success to the expansion of automation services, the implementation of the e-gate pass system, and the modernisation of the container handling process.

The Chattogram Port Authority has expressed its gratitude to the Ministry of Shipping, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Ministry of Commerce, other relevant ministries and departments, customs authorities, port officials and workers, as well as key stakeholders including importers, exporters, shipping agents, berth operators, freight forwarders, the FBCCI, CCCI, BGMEA, BKMEA, and all organisations involved in cargo transportation for their continued support and cooperation.

Currently, 23% of imports through Chittagong Port arrive in containers. The remaining 77% arrive as bulk cargo or in oil and chemical tankers. Of all vessels calling at the port, 45% are container ships, 45% bulk carriers, and 10% are liquid bulk vessels carrying oil, gas, and chemicals. Nearly 99% of the country's container trade is handled by Chittagong Port, with Mongla Port handling the rest.

Md Omar Faruk, secretary of the Chattogram Port Authority said, "This is the highest container handling figure in our history. All officers, staff, and stakeholders worked with dedication to achieve this. We thank everyone for their efforts."

Chattogram Port currently ranks 67th among the world's busiest ports, according to the Lloyd's List, a London-based shipping publication.

Commenting on the performance, Mahfuzul Haque Shah, a former director of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "Chattogram Port and Customs are the heart of our economy. Growth in container handling directly reflects increased trade, which boosts revenue. To sustain this growth, we must abandon the practice of disrupting port and customs operations through agitation. Only then can our economy thrive further."

Despite missing its revised revenue target of Tk80,402 crore by Tk4,970 crore, Chattogram Custom House still posted a strong collection. In FY 2022–23, the Custom House collected Tk 62,658 crore.

Saidul Islam, Deputy Commissioner and spokesperson of Chattogram Custom House, said, "We've faced repeated challenges throughout the year—strikes, protests, and transport stoppages. Still, our revenue performance has remained positive."

He added that Customs is actively working to curb tax evasion through efforts led by branches such as Audit, Investigation and Research (AIR). "Despite adversity, we've maintained revenue growth and strengthened enforcement," he said.