Container handling at the inland container depots (ICDs) in Chattogram grew at a double-digit rate during nine months of the current fiscal year, signalling strong recovery and expansion in the country's external trade.
During the July-March period of FY25, the ICDs handled 790,710 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of export-import cargoes, marking a 15.7-percent increase compared to the same period a year earlier, according to data prepared by the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), the apex body representing the country's 22 ICDs based in Chattogram.
Export shipments, measured in containerised goods, rose by 15.6 per cent to 597,258 TEUs in this period, while import cargo handling grew by over 16 per cent to 193,452 TEUs.
ICDs - commonly referred to as off-docks - currently handle almost 100 per cent of Bangladesh's containerised export shipments, excluding a small volume sent via air freight, and roughly 18 per cent of total imports, particularly focusing on around 50 selected import items, including poultry feeds.
BICDA officials familiar with the matter told The Financial Express the ICDs are experiencing record activities, fuelled by growing export orders, particularly from key sectors like garments, textiles, and diversified jute products.
"We especially have seen huge volumes of export cargoes in recent weeks. Marketing officials from off-docks have informed us that there are long queues of export-bound containers awaiting shipment," said Mohd Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of BICDA, on Sunday.
Quoting a freight forwarder involved in export logistics, he said export bookings with them (freight forwarders) are already secured until December.
Shipping industry sources said the rebound in global demand for Bangladesh-made goods, coupled with the country's competitive edge in apparel and other exports, has prompted many shipping lines to reposition empty containers to Chattogram to ensure a steady supply of boxes for outbound shipments.
Sikder noted that the repositioning of empty containers - a practice that comes at significant logistical costs - underscores the strength of the country's export engine despite global uncertainties, such as freight rate volatility and geopolitical tensions.
Currently, Bangladesh operates 22 private ICDs in Chattogram, with a combined export handling capacity of more than 90,000 TEUs.
They play a critical role in easing congestion at the Chattogram Port by handling a substantial portion of the country's growing trade volume. Industry insiders say further expansion of ICD capacity, along with automation and improved hinterland connectivity, will be crucial to maintaining the momentum and ensuring smooth trade facilitation in the coming years.
jasimharoon@yahoo.com
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