Written by The Banking Post
Chittagong Port closed 2025 with its strongest performance on record, handling the highest volume of containers, cargo and vessel calls in its history as trade activity picked up pace.
The country’s principal seaport handled about 3.40 million TEUs of containers, 138.15 million tonnes of cargo and 4,273 ships during the year. Compared with 2024, container handling rose by 4.07 per cent, cargo throughput by 11.43 per cent and ship arrivals by 10.50 per cent.
In the previous year, the port handled 3.27 million TEUs of containers, 123 million tonnes of cargo and 3,867 vessels.
The surge in activity also translated into higher earnings. Port revenue reached Tk 54.60 billion in 2025, up 7.55 per cent year-on-year. Of this, Tk 18.04 billion was deposited to the government exchequer, keeping Chittagong Port among the largest contributors to public revenue.
A senior port official said the port broke all past records in both container and cargo handling, crediting infrastructure upgrades and operational reforms for the gains. “Automation of port services, the introduction of e-gate passes and modernisation of the container operating system played a major role. The cooperation of port users was also crucial. Container handling could have been even higher if there had not been a shutdown for two to three days last year,” he said.
He added that Chittagong Port handles more than 92 per cent of the country’s export and import cargo and about 98 per cent of container traffic, and that multiple development projects are now underway to further expand capacity.
The record year came amid a gradual recovery in exports and imports after months of pressure from a prolonged dollar shortage. As trade flows stabilised, the port’s performance underscored its central role in supporting Bangladesh’s export-led growth and maintaining supply chain efficiency for key manufacturing sectors.
