Ctg Port’s turbulent 2025 ends with record gains amid protests and policy rifts

Chattogram Port, the backbone of Bangladesh's foreign trade, delivered its strongest operational performance on record in 2025 even as it remained under intense public and political scrutiny over controversial tariffs and the leasing of facilities to foreign operators.

The year was defined by deep fault lines between the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) and key stakeholders – businesses, labour groups, and political actors – with disputes escalating despite a historic operational output that underscored the contradiction of conflict on the surface and capacity expansion underneath.

Quadruple container charges trigger first flashpoint

The port entered the year in controversy after the CPA decided to impose a fourfold storage charge on containers kept beyond the free time.

Imports and exports surged in January and February 2025, pushing yard occupancy beyond capacity by mid-February. Alarmed by worsening congestion, the CPA issued formal notices to importers and C&F agents and began enforcing the quadruple charge from 10 March.

Infographic: TBS

Business leaders accepted that the measure reduced congestion but warned it would raise logistics costs and hurt the wider economy. The issue quickly became the first major point of confrontation between port users and the authority.

Following sustained pressure, the CPA temporarily suspended the fourfold charge for one month from 26 August and continued the suspension until 30 December. On 30 December, the authority again announced a suspension, this time for two months.

41% tariff hike deepens business backlash

Before tensions over container storage eased, the CPA announced an average 41% increase in tariffs across multiple port services.

Declared on 15 September, the revised rates were applied to all vessels arriving after midnight on 14 October. The authority argued the hike was necessary to support infrastructure upgrades and service improvements.

Port users strongly disagreed. Businesses held coordination meetings, while the Port Users' Forum staged protest programmes, calling the increase excessive and poorly timed. The dispute eventually reached the courts, widening the rift between the CPA and the private sector.

Foreign operators and labour unrest

As businesses protested tariffs, another controversy gathered momentum: the appointment of foreign operators to run key terminals.

The issue intensified in June when the contract of Saif Powertec, the operator of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), expired. Workers opposed handing over the country's largest container terminal to a foreign company, fearing job losses and loss of national control.

Despite opposition, the government pressed ahead. After Saif Powertec's contract ended on 30 June, the NCT was temporarily taken over by Chittagong Dry Dock Limited under the Bangladesh Navy.

At the same time, the CPA moved forward with plans to involve foreign firms at other facilities, setting the stage for a wider movement to "save" the port.

'Save Chattogram Port' movement

The leasing of port facilities to foreign companies became one of the most defining issues of 2025.

The process had begun under the now-ousted Awami League government, which initiated plans to lease major installations, including the NCT and the proposed Laldia Container Terminal. In June 2024, the Patenga Container Terminal was handed over to Saudi Arabia-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal International.

After the Awami League government fell on 5 August 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising, the interim government assumed office and continued the policy. On 17 November 2025, the CPA signed a 33-year agreement with Denmark-based APM Terminals, a subsidiary of AP Moller-Maersk, to operate the proposed Laldia Container Terminal. On the same day, the government signed a 22-year concession agreement with Switzerland-based Medlog to operate the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal on the banks of the Buriganga.

Earlier discussions with UAE-based DP World to operate the NCT, initiated under the previous government, were also carried forward by the interim administration.

These decisions triggered widespread protests. Left-leaning political parties accused the government of handing over national assets to foreign entities without transparency. They raised concerns over secrecy in the contracts and potential risks to national security.

The movement echoed past resistance. In 1998, a plan by the Awami League government to establish a private port at the Karnaphuli River mouth with US-based SSA Ports was scrapped following leftist protests and a High Court writ filed by Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Mohammad Shah Alam and others.

In 2025, opposition intensified. Leftist groups organised a Dhaka-Chattogram road march in June. Trade Union Centre, Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, Port Workers' Union and other labour organisations joined the protests. The strongest mobilisation came under the banner of Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad, which even enforced port blockade programmes. Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam also issued statements opposing the leasing deals.

Port officials rejected the allegations, saying workers were being misled with fears of job losses. They dismissed national security concerns as unfounded, arguing that foreign operators function under strict government oversight.

Despite months of agitation, the government remained firm, making the "Save Chattogram Port" movement a central political and economic storyline of the year.

Record-breaking performance

While disputes dominated headlines, Chattogram Port delivered unprecedented operational results.

According to CPA data, the port handled 3.409 million TEUs of containers in 2025, the highest in its history. Cargo handling also rose by 11.43% year-on-year.

As Bangladesh's principal seaport, Chattogram handles around 92% of the country's general import-export cargo and nearly 98% of containerised trade. Port officials say the record figures reflect ongoing modernisation efforts and underline the urgency of expanding capacity.