Container and vessel handling at Chittagong Port increased during the first seven months of 2026, while the waiting time for container vessels declined sharply, according to the data from the Chittagong Port Authority.
The port handled 21.44 lakh TEUs of containers during the period, up from 20.41 lakh TEUs in the corresponding period of 2025. Port officials and industry stakeholders view the rise as a positive sign amid a challenging global trade environment and fluctuations in import and export activity.
Vessel handling also recorded growth. Chittagong Port handled 2,635 vessels during the period, compared with 2,588 vessels in the same period last year. The increase of 47 vessels represents growth of approximately 1.8%.
Despite the rise in container and vessel handling, total cargo handling saw a slight decline. Between January and August 11, 2025, the port handled 84.21 million tonnes of cargo. During the corresponding period this year, the figure fell to 83.51 million tonnes, a decrease of about 0.70 million tonnes.
One of the most significant improvements has been the reduction in waiting time for container vessels. In 2025, a container vessel waited an average of 4.08 days to enter the port. This year, the waiting time has fallen to just 1.23 days, a reduction of 2.85 days, or nearly 70%.
Port officials attributed the improvement to better coordination in jetty management, faster container clearance and increased operational efficiency.
The port's turnaround time has also improved. A vessel took an average of 2.60 days to complete its operations and depart in 2025. The figure has fallen to 2.28 days this year, a reduction of 0.32 days, or about 12%.
However, there has been little change in the dwell time of imported containers. The average dwell time declined marginally from 9.56 days in 2025 to 9.51 days this year.
Chittagong Port has also posted strong financial performance. Revenue during January-June of fiscal year 2025-26 rose to Tk 3,947.69 crore, compared with Tk 2,947.82 crore during the corresponding period of FY2024-25. Revenue therefore increased by nearly Tk 999.87 crore, or 33.92%.
At the same time, revenue expenditure fell from Tk 1,446.24 crore to Tk 1,391.51 crore, a reduction of Tk 54.73 crore, or 3.78%.
As a result, the port's revenue surplus jumped from Tk 1,501.58 crore to Tk 2,556.18 crore, representing an increase of Tk 1,054.60 crore, or 70.23%.
The port also recently set a new record for loading export-laden containers onto a single vessel. On August 12, the Maersk Bantulu loaded 933 export-laden containers, equivalent to 1,784 TEUs, from General Cargo Berth No. 11. Including 144 empty containers, the vessel loaded a total of 1,077 containers, or 1,931 TEUs.
Chittagong Port Authority Secretary Syed Refayet Hossain said that container handling and revenue had increased significantly during the first six months, expressing hope that the port's performance would improve further over the full year.