Chittagong (BDCGP)

Overview:

The Port of Chittagong is the largest seaport in Bangladesh. Historically, it was the most important port in Bangladesh and has always played an important role in the country's economic development. It is the second largest city and largest port in Bangladesh. It is the capital of Chittagong District, with a population of about 3.9 million people. It is still growing. It faces the Bay of Bengal and is on the right bank of the Gornopri River. Chittagong is an important transportation hub and industrial center in Bangladesh. Its industries include oil refining, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, glass and food processing. Its shipbreaking and recycling industry is particularly well-known. The shipbreaking plant area supplies 75% of the country's metal sources. It is located in the southeast of Bangladesh and is surrounded by hills. The Chittagong Mountains are nearby.

In 2018, the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Government decided to change the city's name to a version of its Bengali spelling, drawing in some concerns. After that, the name was changed to Chattogram based on its Bengali pronunciation.

Chittagong is the most important port. Almost all imports and exports of Bangladesh pass through Chittagong. Therefore, it is the economic center of Bangladesh and produces a considerable proportion of the country's gross national product. Its ports make extensive use of advanced port facilities, some of which are suitable for ocean-going vessels. Port exports mainly include clothing, textiles, quick-frozen food, flax and linen products, leather and leather products, tea and chemical products. Ships from the mainland mainly trade cotton, rice, spices, sugar and tobacco. Since 1969, it has also been engaged in the shipbreaking industry. This industry is mainly concentrated on a 16-kilometer-long coastline about 20 kilometers northwest of Chittagong. Due to poor environmental standards, the shipbreaking industry creates a very unsafe working environment for workers and releases dangerous or toxic substances such as asbestos and PCBs. Chittagong's industries range from small industries to heavy industries. These include automobile manufacturing, oil refining, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, export processing, and steelmaking. The Bangladeshi government ignored Chittagong for a long time until its export volume increased to US$8.02 billion in the early 21st century. 80% of Bangladesh’s imports and exports are handled by Chittagong. Its strategic location has attracted many investors. Many important commercial companies settled here.

The docking system was introduced in the seaport on August 6, 2007, enabling the seaport to provide the arrival and departure times of all ships. The two berths at the port terminal are reserved for emergency situations. In 2011, the port handled 43 million tons of cargo and 1.4 million tons of containers. According to statistics from the CPA Department of Transportation, the port handled 1.5 million TEUs (20 equivalent units) in 2010-11, compared with 1.2 million TEUs in the previous year. Chittagong Port was rated as the 90th busiest port in the world in 2013.

During 2012-2013, Chittagong Port handled more than 43.37 million metric tons of cargo including 1.47 million TEUs of cargo, which accounted for about 92% of Bangladesh's total maritime trade. Bangladesh's GDP growth economy is about 6-7%, but at the same time, the container traffic of Chittagong Port has grown by about 14%, which is twice the GDP growth rate.