The government’s planned Bay Terminal is expected to significantly enhance the capacity of Chattogram Port once it becomes operational by 2030, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam told the parliament today.

Replying to a question from Chattogram-15 MP Shahjahan Chowdhury, the minister said the project will help reduce congestion at the country’s main seaport and improve overall efficiency in container handling.

He said the average vessel turnaround time for container handling at Chattogram Port stood at 2.58 days in fiscal year 2024-25, which reduced to 2.1 days in the ongoing fiscal year.

Explaining why the port’s turnaround time remains higher than that of Colombo and Singapore, the minister said those ports mainly function as transshipment hubs. At those ports, containers are transferred between vessels without the need for customs inspection, clearance procedures, or other regulatory formalities.

Chattogram Port, however, operates primarily as a feeder port. Nearly all containers handled are linked to Bangladesh’s import and export trade, requiring customs inspections and clearance procedures, which extend processing time.

The minister said the port authority has undertaken various modernisation initiatives, including installing new equipment and improving operational management, which have already contributed to reducing turnaround time and are expected to bring further improvements.

He also said operations at the Patenga Container Terminal began in June 2024, adding that vessel waiting time at Chattogram Port has since fallen to nearly zero.