Bangladesh's premier seaport, Chattogram Port, still lags behind most of its regional and global competitors in terms of its operational metrics such as container import dwell time (CIDT). It directly inflates national logistics, causes disruption to manufacturing supply chains and risks foreign buyers’ flight. Going by media reports, this is the case despite digitisation of the customs as well as simplification of procedures at the port. According to the World Bank's logistics performance index (LPI), average CIDT at the port rose from 7.8 days in 2023 to 8.3 days in 2024. Bangladesh Customs' Time Release Study 2022 had earlier put average clearance time at around 11 days, while customs officials say it remained above 11 days in 2025. For a seaport handling more than 80 per cent of the country's international trade, the figures indicate a serious loss of efficiency. No wonder Bangladesh's logistics costs, estimated at 15.6 per cent of GDP, remain among the world's highest. This is by no means a picture of competitiveness.
A report in August 2025 found vessel turnaround reduced from five days to two after operational changes at the New Mooring Container Terminal. But the same report found the yard occupied more than 90 per cent and four out of nine scanners out of order. Evidently, faster berthing has not ensured quicker cargo exit. The congestion has, in effect, shifted from the sea to the shore. In fact, cargo clearance is a chain in which customs, importers, shipping agents, port operators, banks and regulatory agencies are interdependent. Chattogram Customs House (CCH) has reportedly asked importers to submit the bill of entry within 10 hours of cargo arrival, but many take more than a week. Notably, the Bangladesh National Single Window (BSW) now connects 19 agencies, with almost 95 per cent of certificates, licences and permits reportedly processed within a day. This is welcome. But digitising regulatory approvals alone cannot move a container when declarations are late, scanners are inoperative or agencies work to different clocks. Pre-arrival filing should, therefore, become standard, electronic shipping documents legally accepted and the five-day limit clearly defined. The Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and risk-based green channels need widening so compliant consignments face fewer inspections. At the same time, every scanner must have preventive-maintenance support and readily available spare parts.
What is necessary is to make the BSW, customs' ASYCUDA World and the port's digital systems fully interoperable, with every action timestamped. A public dashboard should disclose stakeholder-wise time required from vessel arrival to cargo removal. All agencies must provide round-the-clock staffing, while an empowered port-coordination body should review delays and enforce service standards. Long-staying, auctionable cargoes have to be disposed of regularly instead of being allowed to occupy valuable yard space. In fact, better procedures and capacity expansion should go hand in hand.
Experts and business leaders have stressed that the port's infrastructure, berthing capacity and operational time should keep pace with the country's rapidly growing trade volume, especially when the country is on the cusp of graduating from its present LDC status. The Bay Terminal, backed by US$650 million from the World Bank, should be completed expeditiously so larger vessels can be accommodated and existing pressure eased. Modern warehousing, cold-chain facilities and stronger road-rail links are equally important. It would be worthwhile to recall that a World Bank study estimated a one-day reduction in Chattogram Port's dwell time could raise Bangladesh's exports by 7.4 per cent. In that case, reducing dwell time is not merely a customs target but a national economic priority. The government needs to ensure an unified digital process, accountable stakeholders and adequate physical capacity. Only then can Ctg Port become a globally competitive trade gateway.