Goods worth $4355 million have been exported through Chittagong Port in the first 9 months (July to March) of the fiscal year 2023-2024, which is about 5 percent more than the previous financial year.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail said this in an exchange meeting at Shaheed Md. Fazlur Rahman Munsi Auditorium of Chittagong Port on the occasion of the 137th Chittagong Port Day on Wednesday afternoon.
The CPA Chairman said, “At present, container ships at Chittagong port are crowding the jetty within one to two days of their arrival at outer anchorage. Areas are particularly crowded at the on-arrival jetty. Container handling in the first 9 months of FY 2023–2024 at the port increased by 8.27 percent compared to the same period of FY 2022–2023. If this growth continues, it is expected that 3.2 million TEUS containers will be handled in the fiscal year 2023-2024.”
Pointing out that Chittagong Customs is behind the growth in revenue collection, he said, "In the first 9 months of the fiscal year 2023-2024, general cargo handling was 9 crore, 16 lakh, 49 thousand, and 659 metric tonnes, which is about 5 percent more than the same period of the last financial year.
In the first 9 months of the current financial year, ship handling has been more than 3 thousand.”
He said 43,000 square metres of container yard has been constructed to increase the capacity of the port in the past year. Seven thousand TEUS container capacity has been increased due to the construction of the container yard. Besides, the construction of three new container yards has started. A two-storey chemical shed of 4,275 square metres has been constructed for safe storage and clearance of chemicals brought to Chittagong port.
Sohail said, “The port authority's equipment fleet includes five gantry cranes, six 4 high straddle carriers, six 2 high straddle carriers, four loaded reach stackers, two 30 tonne mobile cranes, four 20 tonne forklift trucks, and four variable reach trucks in the last year. A total of 32 pieces of equipment have been collected. As a result of the procurement of this equipment, the capacity of the port has increased to a great extent.
He said, “From Sadarghat of the Karnaphuli River to Bakolia Char, 4.7 million cubic metres of dredging have been done under capital dredging to maintain the navigability of the river. As a result, orderly berthing and the safe movement of lighter ships are becoming possible. A state-of-the-art multibeam echo sounder has been procured to carry out uninterrupted bathymetric survey work on the Karnaphuli River and port boundary. As a result, survey work is being carried out smoothly in navigational channels and outer anchorage areas. DGPS-based stations with modern technology have been procured for accurate positioning for hydrographic survey work on the Karnaphuli River and port boundary. The dredging team of the Port Authority has been activated by deploying its own dredger excavator. Regular conservation dredging is being done in front of the Karnaphuli navigational channel and jetty. As a result, it is possible to berth commercial ships at the jetty of the port with safe movement.
About 85 percent of the revenue of the port comes from the ship service and cargo handling sectors. Mohammad Sohail said, "At the initiative of the port authority, internal anchors with a depth of seven metres have been placed in two bends of 1500 metres and 300 metres from Kalurghat Bridge to Karnaphuli Bridge. About 300 ships can anchor there.”