Port users seek review of fee hike, write to chief adviser

The Chattogram Port Users Forum has sent a letter to the chief adviser, urging a review of the port's recent tariff hike.

The forum said the 41% increase in fees has become a serious concern for the country's import–export trade and that a state-owned infrastructure like the port should operate on a cost-based and service-oriented model rather than a profit-driven one.

The letter, signed by forum convener Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, was sent yesterday.

Confirming the matter, Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury told The Business Standard, "We have sent the letter to the chief adviser's office and the principal secretary, urging them to reconsider the decision. We have sought the chief adviser's intervention."

The new tariffs are set to take effect today, according to a notice signed by Md Abdus Shakur, chief finance and accounts officer of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), on 30 September. Earlier, on 15 September, the CPA had announced the new rates for 23 out of 52 categories following a government gazette, with increases of up to 41%. The revision was based on a comparative review of 10 Asian and 17 international ports, conducted with assistance from Spanish consultancy firm IDOM.

In the letter, the forum pointed out that when the last tariff structure was formulated in 1986, the exchange rate was Tk30.61 per US dollar, while in 2025, it has exceeded Tk122 – meaning the existing tariffs have already grown more than fourfold. Over the years, service fees, handling charges, pilotage, and demurrage have gradually increased, the letter said. Introducing another broad tariff hike now would significantly raise import and export costs.

Emphasising that the Chattogram port is a service-oriented public entity, not a commercial profit-based organisation, the letter said the port authority has managed to carry out modernisation and expansion with existing revenue and still retains substantial reserves. "In such circumstances, the rationale for the tariff hike is questionable," it said.

The letter added that the port handles tankers, bulk cargo, containers, and other vessels that play a vital role in transporting fuel, food grains, industrial raw materials, and consumer goods. These activities are governed by agreements with international principals based on the existing tariff structure. Raising tariffs now, it warned, would undermine global confidence and make Chattogram port appear as a costly and uncertain destination.

The forum also cautioned that higher tariffs would raise container handling, storage, and transport costs for exports – reducing competitiveness in global markets – and increase import costs for essentials like fuel, wheat, fertiliser, and raw materials, directly fuelling domestic inflation. The move would also hurt the port's reputation among the international shipping community.

The letter stressed that the port, as a state-controlled infrastructure provider, should follow a cost-based and service-oriented model, not raise tariffs merely for higher revenue. It warned that such increases could negatively affect Bangladesh's Ease of Doing Business ranking and the International Logistics Performance Index.

Seeking the chief adviser's intervention, the Chattogram Port Users Forum called for suspending implementation of the new tariffs and initiating a time-bound review. It urged that a rational, realistic tariff structure be determined in consultation with all stakeholders – including local shipping agents, importers, exporters, vessel owners, and business associations – and that the port's development continue with a service-driven, non-profit approach.