Depot owners seek permission for delivery of all imported goods at Ctg port

In an effort to enhance port operations, the owners of the private inland container depots (ICDs) at Chattogram port have proposed to deliver all types of imported goods through the facilities.

The proposal was made by the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA) during a meeting with the Chairman of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman, on Wednesday. 

Currently, private inland container depots (ICDs) are permitted to handle and deliver only 38 types of full container load (FCL) imported goods, as approved by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), from Chattogram port to their respective yards. This accounts for merely 18% of the containerised imported goods processed through the port.

During the meeting, the BICDA delegation led by its President Nurul Qayyum Khan, presented six proposals aimed at increasing the efficiency of Chattogram port, says a BICDA press release.

Leaders of the association mentioned that no global port practices the opening and delivery of imported goods containers within port premises, as this hampers the port's efficiency and leads to severe container and traffic congestion. Such practices result in long traffic jams on key roads surrounding the port, causing significant daily disruptions for city residents, they said.

They argue that allowing all imported cargo containers to be delivered from private ICDs would greatly expand the storage capacity at Chattogram port, enabling pre-stacking of export cargo containers in these yards before loading onto ships—an operation standard at developed ports.

Currently, Chattogram port relies solely on its 21 private ICDs, all located within 38 kilometres of the port, for the delivery of imported goods. These ICDs handle 93% of Bangladesh's total containerised exports, according to BICDA.

The delegation also highlighted the need for designated yards or plots for the pre-stacking of export containers sent from private ICDs, noting that this would significantly reduce ship turnaround times and enhance the overall productivity and mobility of both the ports and the ICDs.

Additionally, BICDA leaders called for the merger of two existing policies governing private ICDs—the Ministry of Shipping's 2016 policy and the National Board of Revenue's 2021 policy—into a single, streamlined policy for the private service industry sector. They also urged the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) to increase the number of container scanners.

In response, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman assured the BICDA delegation that their demands would be thoroughly reviewed and that swift action would be taken. He also emphasised the need for private ICDs to continue working diligently to make Chattogram port more dynamic and business-friendly.

The BICDA delegation included its Vice Presidents Alhaj Khalilur Rahman, Haji Mohammad Hossain, and Imran Fahim Noor, Secretary General Mohammad Ruhl Amin Sikdar, along with Director Mohammad Shah Alam, and Executive Director of KDS Logistics Ltd Ahsanul Kabir.

The CPA chairman was accompanied by Member (Finance) Mohammad Shahidul Alam, Director (Transport) Enamul Karim, and Secretary Md Omar Faruk.