Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam. File photo

SANGSAD BHABAN, July 13, 2026 (BSS) -Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam today said the government has undertaken a series of short and long-term initiatives to reduce logistics costs and accelerate cargo clearance as Bangladesh moves towards operating a deep-sea port capable of accommodating large mother vessels.

Responding to a scripted question from opposition lawmaker Md Nurul Islam (Chapainawabganj-3) in the Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said the limited draft at the country’s seaports currently requires most import and export cargo to be transshipped through regional hubs such as Singapore, Colombo and Malaysia before reaching Bangladesh on feeder vessels, resulting in additional costs and longer transit time.
“The present depth of the Karnaphuli Channel ranges from 8.5 to 10 metres. It is a naturally formed channel, and this depth is maintained through capital dredging and maintenance dredging,” he told the House.

He said Chattogram Port can currently berth vessels with a maximum draft of 10 metres and an average carrying capacity of around 3,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units). However, as it is a tidal port, vessel berthing and sailing remain dependent on tidal conditions.

To reduce time and costs in import-export operations, the minister said the government has adopted a number of measures.

“We have taken initiatives to introduce direct shipping services between Chattogram Port and Europe, the Americas and various Middle Eastern countries,” he said.

The minister said around 80 percent of container unloading and delivery operations have already been digitalised, while work is underway to digitalise the remaining 20 percent.

He also informed the House that the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) has been constructed with Chattogram Port’s own financing and is being operated by Saudi Arabia-based operator RSGT under a government-to-government agreement.

Shaikh Rabiul Alam said construction of the Matarbari Deep Sea Port and the Bay Terminal is progressing, and once completed, both facilities will be able to accommodate vessels with 12 to 14-metre drafts, significantly reducing vessel waiting time through direct berthing.

He said the government is also taking steps to ease congestion by delivering all import containers through private inland container depots (ICDs)/off-docks and auctioning more than 10,000 TEUs of uncleared containers lying inside Chattogram Port through customs authorities.

In addition, the minister said, the government is implementing a pre-arrival customs clearance process in coordination with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to facilitate quicker release of imported goods before vessels berth at the port.

“The measures being implemented sequentially to enhance port productivity will make it possible to clear cargo within a shorter time and at lower cost,” he added.

The minister further said Bangladesh’s dependence on foreign transshipment ports stems from the present draft limitations and tidal nature of its seaports, forcing most cargo to move through Singapore, Colombo and Malaysian ports before arriving in Bangladesh.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the Matarbari Deep Sea Port, he said construction is underway in Cox’s Bazar with a designed navigational channel depth of approximately 16 metres alongside a modern container terminal.

“The port is scheduled to become operational by 2029. Once commissioned, it will be able to receive container vessels carrying around 8,200 TEUs or cargo ships of approximately 100,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT) directly, nearly four times the carrying capacity of vessels currently calling at Chattogram Port,” he said.

He said the commissioning of the deep-sea port would substantially reduce Bangladesh’s dependence on transshipment hubs such as Colombo, Singapore and Port Klang, cutting both transit time and logistics costs.

“The Matarbari Deep Sea Port will open a new horizon for Bangladesh’s import-export trade. Faster, more efficient and cost-effective cargo handling will reduce logistics costs, strengthen the competitiveness of the country’s external trade and establish Bangladesh as an important regional maritime trade hub,” the minister added.