Nearly 9,278 cargo-laden containers worth several thousand crore taka have remained stranded at Chittagong Port for years, occupying up to one-fifth of its storage capacity and worsening congestion despite repeated efforts to auction them.
According to officials at the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Chittagong Custom House, 9,278 containers carrying around 200,000 tonnes of imported goods are awaiting auction at the port's terminals and container yards.
Many of the containers have remained at the port for 10 to 15 years, with much of the cargo damaged or no longer usable.
Under port regulations, imported goods left unclaimed for 30 days after being unloaded from a vessel must be auctioned or destroyed through customs. However, procedural delays and other complications have allowed thousands of containers to remain at the port for years.
Officials said the abandoned containers now occupy 15% to 20% of the port's operational space, reducing its capacity to handle fresh import and export cargo.
Importers abandoned the consignments for various reasons, including falling market prices, incomplete documentation, customs disputes and other regulatory complications.
Although thousands of containers are awaiting disposal, Chittagong Custom House auctions only 20 to 30 containers each month through open bidding. Perishable goods such as oranges, mandarins, dates and ginger are usually sold through these auctions, while some consignments are disposed of through e-auctions.
Port data show the backlog includes 2,700 twenty-foot containers and 6,578 forty-foot containers.
Commodore Amin Ahmed Abdullah, member (Marine and Harbour) of the Chittagong Port Authority, said removing the auction-eligible containers would significantly improve port operations.
"These containers occupy around 15% to 20% of the port's capacity. Clearing them would free up a substantial area for handling new import and export cargo," he said.
Custom House officials said 2,697 containers have so far been enlisted for auction, while approval has been granted for 1,619 of them.
Last year, 493 containers were handed over to successful bidders after auction, while another 495 have been cleared so far this year, bringing the total to 988 containers over the past 18 months.
However, several hundred newly abandoned containers have been added to the auction list during the same period, leaving the overall backlog largely unchanged.
Sharif Md Al Amin, assistant commissioner at Chittagong Custom House, said the auction process must follow legal procedures.
"There is a prescribed process for auctioning goods stored in containers. Procedural requirements have caused delays, but the auction process is continuing and efforts are being made to speed it up," he said.
Khairul Alam Sujan, former director of the Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association and former vice-president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association, said prolonged delays have caused significant losses.
"Goods have deteriorated after remaining inside containers for years, while many containers have also become unusable. Shipping agents are suffering losses. We have repeatedly urged the authorities to expedite the auction process through letters and industry meetings," he said.
Industry stakeholders said resolving the longstanding backlog is essential to easing congestion at Bangladesh's busiest seaport and improving the efficiency of the country's import-export trade.