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Despite remaining in operation during an extended 10-day Eid-ul-Azha holiday, the Chattogram Port, the country’s key maritime gateway, has witnessed a significant build-up of container congestion due to reduced delivery of import goods.

Port and shipping officials said that container delivery dropped to less than 2,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) a day during the 10-day holiday beginning on June 5, down from the usual average of 4,000 TEUs.

As of Saturday, the last day of the holidays for Eid-ul-Azha, a major Muslim religious festival celebrated in the country on June 7, a total of 42,416 TEUs were stockpiled at the port’s yard, nearly 80 per cent of its total storage capacity of 53,518 TEUs.

While the port usually operates smoothly with a yard occupancy of 30,000 to 32,000 TEUs, the surge in stored containers over the holidays has raised operational concerns, the officials said.

Data show that only 1,935 containers were cleared from the port on Saturday, 2,541 on June 13 and 2,011 on June 12. The highest level of congestion was recorded on June 12 with 42,712 TEUs stacked in the yard.

The port and shipping officials said that a pen-down strike by National Board of Revenue staff over different demands, including the cancellation of ordinance that split the NBR into two entities, had already slowed clearance activities at the port before the Eid holidays. The 10-day Eid holiday worsened the situation, they said.

Although the port remained operational, delivery activities were hampered as most of the import and export companies, factories and trading offices remained closed during the Eid holidays.

Khairul Alam Sujon, a director at the Bangladesh Shipping Agents’ Association said, ‘With all stakeholders returning to regular operations on Sunday, we expect a significant increase in cargo delivery, which would gradually ease the backlog.’

BSAA president Syed Mohammad Arif said, ‘As the banking, customs and transport services remained closed during the Eid holidays, importers were unable to clear goods. With everything now reopening, the situation will be normal soon.’

He also said that prolonged congestion could delay vessel berthing schedules, resulting in additional charges for importers, which could ultimately be passed on to consumers through higher prices.

Referring to the extended holiday, Md Raisul Islam, port and customs affairs secretary of the Khatunganj Trade Association, said, ‘Without continuous operations in the customs and banking sectors, the port suffers.’

Chattogram Port Authority secretary Md Omar Faruk said, ‘The delivery slowdown during the holidays has led to a container build-up. We’re closely monitoring the situation and urging importers to expedite their cargo clearance. We expect normalcy to return within the next couple of days.’