CHATTOGRAM, June 24: Chattogram Port is on the track to post its strongest-ever operational performance in FY26, with container handling projected to reach around 3.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), cargo throughput expected to hit 136 million tonnes and vessel arrivals likely to exceed 4,300.
* Container handling expected to reach around 3.5m TEUs
* Cargo throughput projected at 136 million tonnes
* Revenue rises 22pc to Tk 60.77b in 11 months
* Bay Terminal and Matarbari projects set to boost future capacity
The record performance comes amid higher revenue earnings, expanded infrastructure, increased equipment capacity and accelerated digitalisation efforts at the country’s premier seaport.
According to sources at the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), the port earned Tk 60.77 billion in revenue during the first 11 months of FY26, up from Tk 49.52 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, registering growth of more than 22 per cent.
Over the past five financial years, the port has contributed Tk 75.80 billion to the national exchequer, including Tk 35.53 billion in taxes, Tk 34.27 billion in VAT and Tk 6.0 billion in other tax revenues.
CPA sources attributed the record performance to the addition of modern cargo-handling equipment, expansion of yard capacity and improvements in vessel management.
Container handling at the New Mooring Container Terminal, operated by Chattogram Dry Dock Limited, increased by nearly 11 per cent over the year, further contributing to the port’s overall growth.
The CPA also accelerated digitalisation efforts through the introduction of online e-gate passes, electronic bill generation and e-payment systems. On December 23, 2025, the port issued a record 6,761 electronic gate passes in a single day.
Significant progress was made in port digitalisation through the Terminal Operating System (TOS), allowing users to obtain gate passes round the clock from anywhere in the country. Online bill generation and collection through banking portals have enhanced transparency, reduced fraud and advanced the goal of a paperless port.
To meet rising container volumes, CPA constructed 70,000 square metres of additional yard space in 2025 and procured 35 handling equipment units, including forklifts. The authority is also procuring a total of 81 equipment units for the General Cargo Berth (GCB), New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT), including four quay gantry cranes (QGCs) and 11 rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs).
CPA officials believe the additional equipment will enable the port to handle more than 10 million TEUs annually by 2030.
Operational efficiency has also improved significantly. Vessel waiting times, which previously ranged from 10 to 12 days, have been reduced to just two to two-and-a-half days, while in some cases vessels no longer have to wait for berthing.
Port security has also been strengthened to meet international standards. In 2025, a two-day inspection by the US Coast Guard International Port Security (IPS) team resulted in a "zero observation" report, an unprecedented achievement in the port’s history. New fire safety standard operating procedures have also been introduced with support from the Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard and Fire Service.
Meanwhile, several major development projects are progressing to expand the port’s future capacity, including the Bay Terminal, Matarbari Deep Sea Port and Laldia Container Terminal.
According to CPA sources, the Bay Terminal project is designed to increase container handling capacity by an additional 3 million TEUs annually. The project includes a 1,500-metre multipurpose terminal, a 1,225-metre container terminal and an 800-metre container terminal. Its 12�"14 metre-deep channel will allow round-the-clock navigation of vessels carrying between 5,000 and 6,000 TEUs.
The Matarbari Deep Sea Port is expected to have an initial annual handling capacity of between 0.6 million and 1.1 million TEUs when it becomes fully operational around 2030. In later phases, capacity is expected to exceed 2.8 million TEUs annually.
The facility’s 16-metre draught will enable to accommodate large mother vessels carrying up to 8,000 TEUs, reducing dependence on feeder vessels and improving the efficiency of Bangladesh’s maritime trade.
CPA recently celebrated the 139th anniversary of its establishment on April 25. The authority has also taken an initiative to expand its territorial waters jurisdiction from the existing 62 nautical miles to 72 nautical miles.
