Export container volume doubles; 5,000 trucks stuck on highways ahead of Eid

As Eid-ul-Adha approaches, a sharp surge in export activities has overwhelmed the country's inland container depots (ICDs), causing severe congestion on major routes, including the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.

With container volumes nearly doubling, over 5,000 covered vans and trucks loaded with export goods are now stranded on highways due to a lack of space at the depots.

According to the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA), the 19 ICDs in Chattogram were handling 16,630 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of export containers as of 8am on 2 June – 52% above their standard operating capacity.

The association expects this figure to exceed 18,000 TEUs in the final days before Eid.

"Before Eid, garment factories also dispatch shipments intended for export after the holidays, leading to a significant spike in container volume," said Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of BICDA. 

"This seasonal pressure is disrupting normal operations, but we expect the situation to ease once the holidays begin."

Under typical conditions, the ICDs store around 8,000 export containers and move 2,000-2,500 TEUs to the port daily. 

Currently, the ICDs are also holding 7,655 TEUs of import containers and 55,162 TEUs of empty containers, bringing the total to 79,447 TEUs – well above their combined standard capacity of 76,000 TEUs. When including two partially operational ICDs, the total capacity rises to around 1 lakh TEUs.

The build-up has been intensifying over the past week. On 30 May, the number of export containers stood at 14,139 TEUs, rising to 15,364 TEUs by 1 June. 

In the 24 hours leading up to the morning of 2 June, 4,391 export-laden vehicles arrived at the depots, compared to 4,460 and 3,981 on the two previous days, respectively.

Normally, 3,000 to 3,200 trucks arrive at the depots each day, but this number has spiked due to the Eid-related rush. With depot parking areas stretched to the limit, thousands of trucks have been forced to idle on highways and nearby roads, including Patenga Outer Ring Road and Airport Road.

Drivers endure long delays, safety threats

"The heaviest congestion is being seen at depots like KDS Logistics, BM Depot in Kumira, Patenga, Kathgarh, SAPL, Incontrade Ltd, and OCL," said Chowdhury Zafar Ahmed, secretary general of the Bangladesh Covered Van, Truck, Prime Mover Goods Transport Owners Association. 

"Drivers and helpers have been stranded on the roads for three to four days in appalling conditions."

He also raised concerns over safety risks, citing theft, fuel pilferage, and even robbery. "This scenario repeats every year ahead of Eid when apparel exporters advance their shipments," he added.

ICD officials noted that the early export rush typically begins one to two weeks ahead of Eid, often resulting in capacity overload and delays, worsened by manpower shortages.

Former BGMEA vice president Rakibul Alam Chowdhury said the early shipment trend is a well-known seasonal pattern. "To manage this recurring pressure, we need to expand ICD capacity. Ports, shipping lines, and all relevant stakeholders must coordinate efforts to avoid such disruptions," he said.