CPA expands container handling capacity on Ctg-Pangaon route with new jetty allocation 

The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has undertaken several initiatives to improve the transport of import and export goods via the river route from Chattogram port to Pangaon inland container terminal. A key move in this direction is the allocation of an additional jetty for handling of containerised goods bound for Pangaon.

Previously, imported goods bound for Pangaon terminal were handled through a single jetty at the port. Now, with the new allocation this month, goods can be transported using two jetties, effectively doubling the port’s capacity for container handling on the Chattogram-Pangaon route.

Md Omar Faruk, secretary of the Chattogram Port Authority, told The Business Standard that they discussed with stakeholders on 1 September and 15 September to accelerate operations at the Pangaon inland container terminal. 

During the meetings, the chairman of the CPA urged stakeholders to enhance the handling capacity at Pangaon terminal and to make the terminal more business-friendly. “In addition to the existing jetty dedicated to Pangaon terminal, the government has allocated a second jetty specifically for Pangaon bound vessels, which is expected to double the container handling capacity,” he said.

According to CPA data, Chattogram port handled 3,168,690 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers in the fiscal year 2023-24. Of this, only 10,240 TEUs were handled at Pangaon, marking a decrease compared to the 35,771 TEUs handled at the terminal in the fiscal year 2022-23, when the port’s total container handling stood at 3,007,375 TEUs.

Despite the drop in container handling at Pangaon terminal, several international shipping lines, including CMA-CGM, have expressed interest in utilising the terminal for inland container shipping. To support this, exporters are making the necessary arrangements, including specifying the Pangaon terminal as the container destination on import general manifests (IGMs) and bills of lading (B/L).

Additionally, to streamline Customs processes at the Pangaon terminal, the National Board of Revenue has initiated efforts to simplify Customs clearance procedures.

Besides, an initiative has also been taken to revoke a previous notification from the Ministry of Shipping that had set higher fare rates for vessels on the Chattogram-Pangaon-Chattogram route. Reducing these fares will make river transport of containers more competitive and significantly lower than current rates.

The Pangaon inland container terminal, built in 2013 in Keraniganj near Dhaka, is a joint venture between the Chattogram Port Authority and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). Since its establishment, the Chattogram-Pangaon- Chattogram sea route has been used for import and export container transport under the management of the CPA.