BSS, Chittagong :
Container handling in the country’s premier sea port Chittagong has increased to record 10.46 per cent in the just concluding fiscal 2013- 2014 despite instabilities almost throughout the year.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) sources said the recent container handling is the highest growth in last four years and a great achievement for the port.
A high official of the CPA said generally the annual container handling increases from three to four per cent but this year the increase rate reached to 10.46 per cent.
“The prevalence of the container handling is very positive for the country’s economy and the capacity of the port should be boosted in order to keep continue the existing growth rate”, the sources added.
CPA statistics show that 16 lakh 22 thousand 279 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) of export-import containers were handled during 2013-2014 fiscal while the handling were 14 lakh 68 thousand 713 TEUs in 2012-2013 fiscal and 13 lakh 43 thousand 408 TEUs in 2011-2012 fiscal.
The figures further show that one lakh 54 thousand 442 TEUs, the highest amount, of containers were handled in May last and one lakh 44 thousand 879 TEUs in June 2014.
The total export is carried out through containers while the imported containers include capital machinery, raw materials, industrial, consumer and electric goods.
According to the port statistics, the bulk of the container goods are readymade garments, jute and jute made goods, frozen shrimps, leather and leather made goods.
Containers are handled in 10 jetties of the port while general cargoes are handled in just six jetties, CPA sources said.
