Mongla Port, the country's second-largest seaport. Photo: BSS

KHULNA, April 21, 2026 (BSS) – Mongla Port, the country's second-largest seaport, has set a new record in container handling during the first nine and a half months of the 2025–26 fiscal year, marking a significant rise in maritime trade activity.

According to officials of the Mongla Port Authority, the port handled 25,250 TEU containers between July 2025 and April 15, 2026, surpassing the total of 21,456 TEUs handled in the entire 2024–25 fiscal year.

The latest figure represents an over 85 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Senior Deputy Manager of the port authority Md Makruzzaman told BSS today that a total of 699 foreign commercial ships arrived at the port during the nine-and-a-half-month period.

Of them, 39 were foreign commercial container vessels, while 22 carried imported cars. During this time, the port also facilitated the import of 9,160 reconditioned vehicles.

Cargo handling during the period stood at 10,818,690 metric tonnes (MT). In the same period last year, it was 7,618,910 tonnes, reflecting a 7.04 percent increase over the corresponding period.

Makruzzaman said that with more than two months remaining in the current fiscal year, the port has already exceeded last year's container handling volume, expressing optimism that overall performance will improve further by the end of the fiscal year.

To enhance operational capacity and facilitate port users, the authority has launched three new operational anchor berths in the Hiron Point area.

Trial operations have already been successfully completed at these berths with 39 commercial ships of 9.00-metre draught. The new facilities will now allow the handling of commercial vessels up to 200 metres in length and 9.00 metres in draught.

The port currently handles the import of essential commodities such as food grains, cement raw materials, clinker, fertiliser, automobiles, machinery, rice, wheat, coal, oil, stone, corn, oilseeds and LPG. Export items include white fish, shrimp, jute and jute products, frozen food, crab, clay tiles, silk fabrics and other general cargo.

Officials expressed hope that increased ship arrivals and expanded port capacity will further boost import and export activities, contributing significantly to the country's economic growth.