Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday said reforming and modernising the port of Chattogram is not a technical footnote to the story of how Bangladesh will become a middle-income country, but it is also the headline.
Explaining why Chattogram port must be modernised now, he said, Chattogram is not just a city on the coast, it is the front door to the nation's economic future.
"If Bangladesh is to seize the opportunities of the Asian century — to trade more, produce more, and earn more — it must start by ensuring that this door is not jammed shut," said Alam, who will visit Chattogram port with BIDA and BEZA Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhory at 8:30 am on Thursday.
As Bangladesh looks to consolidate its position as one of South Asia's fastest-growing economies, its continued ascent will increasingly depend not just on policy or population, but on logistics. In particular, the Port- or the ports- of Chittagong — which handles over 95 per cent of the country's seaborne trade — must be recognised as currently creating a critical bottleneck but also offering a transformative opportunity, said the Press Secretary.
For Bangladesh, he said, the only route to prosperity is export. "Pretty soon we have to confront with stark reality: can we manufacture and export goods worth hundreds of billions of dollars?"
This year Bangladesh's exports may hit 50 billion dollars, Alam said, adding that "But to emerge as a giant manufacturing hub, as envisioned by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, we need to export goods worth at least 200 billion dollars a year."
And the ports in the Chittagong region will have to handle sea-borne foreign trade worth 500 billion dollars annually.
Without significant investment and reform, Alam said, the port risks becoming an anchor that drags down the country's economic momentum.
"Poor logistics at the ports will also weigh heavily on Foreign Direct Investment. If your ports weren't efficient, who would want to invest billions of dollars in new manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh? But with foresight and action, it could instead be the launchpad for a new era of national prosperity," he said.
"Bangladeshis have much to be proud of. Over the past four decades, despite the venality of the Sheikh Hasina regime, the country has brought down the poverty rate to around 20 per cent, diversified its economy beyond agriculture, and become a global leader in garments manufacturing," he said in a post from his verified Facebook account.
With over 170 million people, a youthful workforce, and rising levels of domestic consumption, Alam said, Bangladesh is now poised to become a middle-income country. "But ambition must be matched by infrastructure."
The Port of Chattogram — strategically located on the Bay of Bengal — has long served as the country's maritime gateway.
"Yet despite its centrality to the economy, it is woefully inefficient by global standards. Ships are often forced to wait several days offshore before berthing," Alam said.
He said turnaround times for containers are long, dwell times in the yard are excessive, and capacity has failed to keep pace with the rapid growth in trade volume.
These delays are not mere inconveniences — they carry substantial economic costs, Alam said.
"Lack of efficiency in the ports prompted many of our exporters to ship high-end fashion apparel through the airport in New Delhi despite these being subject to the vagaries of this long land route across an international border," he said.
In an era where efficiency often determines investment decisions, port performance is no longer just a technical matter; it is a strategic imperative.
"To address these challenges, we have to find some quick and effective solutions," Alam said.
Physical capacity must be expanded in all terminals in Chittagong Port.
Plans have been made to develop the Bay Terminal and deepen the port channel to accommodate larger vessels.
"Now it's time to implement these plans at pace. The Interim Government is speaking with some of the biggest port operators on earth," said the Press Secretary.
Alam said regional connectivity needs to be enhanced. "The port cannot function effectively in isolation. Investments in inland transport — rail, road, and inland waterways — are vital to reduce the time and cost of moving goods to and from the hinterland."
"In particular, better links to Dhaka and the industrial zones in central Bangladesh will ease pressure on the port and spread the benefits of trade more equitably across the country," he said.
Beyond the economics, the social implications are profound, Alam said, adding that faster port operations translate into quicker income for farmers and producers.
"They reduce inflationary pressure on imported goods. And they strengthen Bangladesh's resilience in the face of external shocks — from pandemics to geopolitical disruptions in global trade routes," he said.
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