The country's main foreign trade gateway is struggling with extreme cargo congestion as importers and transport operators rushed to take delivery of containers delayed during a series of wildcat transport strikes spanning multiple days.

Chattogram port users warned it could take another week to clear the accumulated backlog.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Md Omar Faruk, however, said the situation would improve soon.

The rush followed Sunday evening's withdrawal of the strikes, launched by prime mover, truck, and covered van owners, and customs clearing and forwarding (C&F) staff in response to a sudden fourfold increase in port entry fees by the CPA.

The regulatory body had raised charges—later suspended—for heavy vehicles by up to 300 percent in line with the recently revised tariff schedule.

EXPORT SHIPMENTS HIT HARD

By the early hours yesterday, queues of goods-carrying vehicles at the Chattogram port stretched nearly 20 kilometres along the Port Toll Road up to Fouzderhat, with additional gridlocks on Port Connecting Road and Airport Road.

The massive inflow of vehicles for on-chassis delivery of import containers had an immediate knock-on effect on exports. The tailback of vehicles delayed the transport of export containers, forcing vessels to depart half-empty.

Two ships, MV San Lorenzo and MV Smooth Venture, left yesterday morning, leaving behind 234 TEUs of exports, while Colombo-bound vessels Santa Loukia and HR Farha deferred departure, unable to collect sufficient export cargo.

Port security officials said the backlog was created almost immediately after vehicle movements resumed, as prime mover trailers tried to avoid detention charges for delayed containers designated for on-chassis delivery.

Port sources reported that importers had submitted assignments for around 3,000 import containers over five days until Saturday, but only a handful could be delivered during the strike.

Normally, containers not collected within a day attract charges of $32.5 for 20-foot units and $63 for 40-foot units, but the port waived fees for containers delayed during the strike.

The waiver prompted an additional surge as transport operators raced to take delivery.

By 8:00am yesterday, the port had cleared only 800–900 containers of the accumulated 3,000.

Delays were further compounded by technical and procedural bottlenecks.

Shamsuzzaman Suman, social welfare affairs secretary of the Truck Owners' Association, said the backlog worsened because the CPA had not yet updated its digital payment system after reinstating the previous Tk 57.50 entry fee for heavy vehicles.

Drivers without smartphones also faced delays, as technical support staff were absent on Sunday despite earlier assurances by the CPA chairman that booths of software-making companies would be set up at the entry gates, he added.

The strike, called to protest the increase of entry fees from Tk 57.50 to Tk 230 for heavy vehicles and Tk 23 to Tk 115 for light vehicles, ended after the CPA temporarily halted the hike.

Dous Mohammad, CEO of ICD Portlink Logistics, said vehicles dispatched from their depot at 7:00pm Sunday still had not reached the port by yesterday morning, causing shipments to be missed as vessels departed.

The backlog highlights how tightly coupled import and export operations are at Chattogram port. While the import surge was unavoidable due to accumulated containers, it directly blocked the movement of export containers, forcing ships to leave behind cargo and delaying departures.

Factories waiting for raw materials face delays, exporters risk missing transshipment schedules, and the congestion demonstrates how quickly operational bottlenecks can cascade into wider supply chain disruptions.

While the CPA secretary assured that the situation would improve soon, port stakeholders cautioned that clearing the accumulated cargo will require coordinated effort over several days.