The government has undertaken a series of infrastructure and procedural reforms to ensure faster delivery of imported goods and containers through Chittagong Port and ease container congestion, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam told Parliament on Thursday.
Responding to a tabled starred question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shahjahan Chowdhury, he said the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has increased the port’s yard capacity from 53,000 TEUs to 59,000 TEUs, added modern container-handling equipment and constructed new yards and sheds as part of its infrastructure development efforts.
The minister said several procedural reforms have also been introduced to ease container congestion and improve operational efficiency at the country’s busiest seaport.
Among the key measures, he highlighted efforts to implement a Pre-Arrival Process that will allow customs documentation to be completed before a vessel arrives at the port.
Rabiul aid the CPA has repeatedly urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Chittagong Customs House to take the necessary steps, and the NBR has already initiated actions to implement the system.
Once introduced, the process is expected to accelerate container delivery, reduce dwell time and ease congestion at the port, he added.
The minister also said initiatives have been taken to expedite the auction of containers eligible for disposal through Chittagong Customs House. In addition, auctionable containers stored inside the port have been safely transferred to off-site yards, creating additional storage capacity within the port premises.
However, he stressed the need for customs authorities to complete the auction process more quickly.
To simplify services for port users, online payment facilities have been introduced for port charges, while an e-gate pass system has been launched to facilitate smoother vehicle entry into the port, Rabiul said.
He further said efforts are being intensified to establish connectivity between the National Single Window (NSW) platform and the Terminal Operating System (TOS) as part of broader trade facilitation measures.
Referring to Benapole Land Port, the minister said only 11 containers entered the port during the 2025-26 fiscal year under a single consignment on May 17, 2026.
No other containers entered the port before or after that date during the fiscal year.
The containers are currently stored at TTI Yard-38 of Benapole Land Port and will be released after completion of customs and port formalities, he said.
Rabiul said the Bangladesh Land Port Authority is implementing extensive infrastructure development projects at Benapole and other land ports to improve Bangladesh’s position in the ease of doing business index.
According to him, the newly constructed Cargo Vehicle Terminal at Benapole has significantly reduced traffic congestion inside the port. Indian trucks carrying imported goods now remain at the terminal until unloading begins, helping streamline cargo handling, loading and unloading operations, and the return of vehicles to India.
The minister also said the process of acquiring an additional 2.08 acres of land to expand the existing International Passenger Terminal and enhance passenger facilities is at its final stage.
Furthermore, another 52 acres of land are being acquired under an access project, he said.
Once the land acquisition and related infrastructure development are completed, the port’s handling capacity will increase substantially, making the facility more attractive to traders, Rabiul added.
