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Chattogram Port, the country’s prime seaport, is grappling with growing container congestion as storage yard edges closer to full capacity.

Stakeholders have cautioned that unless swift measures were taken, the situation might soon disrupt handling and delivery operations.

Earlier, to ease pressure, the National Board of Revenue instructed that all containers destined for inland container depots must be transferred to their designated depots on the same day of unloading.

If a full transfer is not feasible, traders must complete the process by the following day, the directive added.

The port’s official yard capacity is 53,518 twenty-foot equivalent units, which has recently been expanded to about 59,000 TEUs by adding facilities such as ‘XY’ shed and other spaces.

According to the port authority’s latest update, as of August 20 morning, number of containers in the yard stood at 47,463.

In the previous 24 hours, 9,375 TEUs were handled.

On August 19, the yard had 48,494 containers, compared with that of 49,131 on August 18 and 48,751 on August 17.

Omar Faruk, secretary of the port, said that previously, the port allowed 10 container vessels to berth at its jetties.

‘To cut waiting time at the outer anchorage, we have reduced the number of cargo ships and increased container ships to 13. As a result, a greater volume of imported containers has been unloaded,’ he added.

He also stated that a shortage of railway locomotives had slowed movement of containers bound for Dhaka ICDs, resulting in a backlog in the port yard.

‘However, as the number of empty containers and off-dock-bound containers is also high, we have managed to expand capacity and operations have not faced major disruption,’ he added.

The port secretary further stated that nearly 10,000 TEUs were awaiting auction and about 300 containers filled with perishable goods were occupying the yard space.

Clearing these would free up approximately 20 per cent of the capacity.

‘Container delivery usually drops during weekends. If deliveries continued at the same pace as weekdays, there would be no crisis,’ he said, adding that the container situation was expected to return to normal within a week.

According to the NBR’s latest directive, ICD-bound consignments must now be transferred in a single day, with charges applicable only after all containers of a consignment reach off-docks.

Exceptions, such as capacity constraints, may be approved by the commissioner of Chattogram Customs House.

The order, issued on August 14, marked the first time authorities have made same-day transfer compulsory for 65 categories of imports cleared via private ICDs.

Meanwhile, port users have termed the NBR directive ‘unrealistic.’

Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association, said that the order applied only to the 15 per cent of containers that move to private off-docks outside Chattogram Port and for the remaining 85 per cent, there was no such directive.

‘What will happen to the containers already stuck inside the port? We want a new directive that includes those as well, so that congestion can be eased quickly,’ he said.

He further pointed out that the container scanner at Gate No 5 of the General Cargo Berth had remained out of order for nearly one and a half years.

‘If all scanners were operational, much of the delay could have been avoided,’ he added.

Currently, 65 categories of import containers must be shifted to off-docks within two days of unloading.

The association has proposed to the customs that the deadline be extended to four days.

‘After four days, there could be a dual-option system for delivery, either from the off-dock or directly from the port,’ he added.

Regarding the port situation, Inamul Haq Khan, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, stated that they had been informed that port activities had slowed down.

‘At a time when we are hopeful for more orders, these port issues may undermine that hope,’ he warned.

He urged the authorities to take immediate measures to resolve the problem at ports and customs, including make all scanners operational and a global standard port operation.