CHITTAGONG, Jan 02: Chittagong Port has set yet another milestone in container handling with 2.346 million TEUs of containers handled in the last calendar year 2016.
Official data showed that the port handled 0.322 million more TEUs of containers last year than that of the previous year. In the year 2015, the country's prime maritime port handled 20.24 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) of containers.
A Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) official said that import and export of the cargo through the port increased over the year and 92 per cent of the cargo is operated through the port.
He said 2.346 TEUs of containers were handled in 2016 and with the increase of container ships laden with import cargo calling at the Chittagong Port the increased cargo handling has resulted in a new record.
In 2015, 1,193 ships called at the port and the volume of loading and unloading of cargo was 2.024 million TEUs while the number of ships calling at the port in 2014 was 1,047 and the volume of cargo was 1.731 million TEUs.
The containerised cargo handling increased every year over the last seven years. In the year 2010, the port handled 1.34 million TEUs of containers, 1.39 million TEUs in 2011, 1.42 million in 2012 and 1.54 million TEUs in 2013.
Sources said that the port authority would have its handling capacity go up significantly in this new calendar year with procurement and installation of handling equipments now under process for strengthening capacity of the New Mooring Container Terminal.
Trade body leaders said despite record container handling, businesses in the port are suffering a lot due to handling equipment shortage which has heightened the cost of doing business.
Although all five jetties of the NMCT got operational in October of 2015, the terminal could not operate in full swing due to shortage of the required handling equipment including rubber-tyred gantry cranes, they said.
They alleged that turn-around time of ships in the Chittagong Port increased to four days from two and a half days over the recent months.
The CPA has undertaken a large number of projects including installation of modern handling equipments and construction of the Bay Terminal for its capacity building but the process of implementation of these projects is very slow, he said.
Member (admn and planning) of the Chittagong Port Authority Zafar Alam said the shortcomings of handling equipments will go this fiscal year as most of the equipments under a procurement scheme worth Tk 12.00 billion will be brought within the current fiscal year (2016-17).
Khairul Alam Suzon, director of Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA), said the port authority has taken up projects for construction of more port jetties, yards and terminals, procurement of modern heavy equipments etc but the process of implementation of the projects is very slow.
"Construction of the Bay Terminal is very important for the port but it is unlikely to begin within the current fiscal year for different procedural hassles," he said.
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