Mongla Port handled a record 17,387 containers over the past six months

Mongla Port, the country’s second-largest seaport, handled a record 17,387 TEUs of containers carried by 28 container vessels during the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY 2025–26). The port also saw a record 440 overseas commercial vessels anchoring between July and December, significantly increasing its revenue, according to port sources cited by BSS.

During this six-month period, 5,244 imported vehicles arrived at the port aboard 15 ships, while total imports reached 6,327,870 tonnes and exports stood at 42,671 tonnes.

Md Makruzzaman, Deputy Secretary of the Mongla Port Authority (MPA), said that between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, the port handled 10,324,611 tonnes of imported cargo and 87,800 tonnes of exports. In the same period, 11,579 reconditioned vehicles were brought in by 26 vessels.

He added that more than 6.37 million tonnes of goods were transported through the port from July 1 to December 31, 2025, compared with about 10.41 million tonnes handled in the entire 2024–25 fiscal year.

Makruzzaman attributed the rise in vessel arrivals to several initiatives taken by the port authority to attract shipping lines. He noted that Mongla Port plays a crucial role in meeting national demand by facilitating imports of essential commodities such as food grains, fertiliser, cement raw materials, clinker, coal, oil, stone, automobiles, machinery, rice, wheat, corn, oilseeds and LPG.

The port also supports exports of a wide range of Bangladeshi products, including shrimp, white fish, dried fish, jute and jute goods, frozen food, crabs, clay tiles, silk fabrics, ready-made garments and general cargo.

He said Mongla Port is a major driver of economic development in the country’s southwestern region, creating employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people.

In the 2024–25 fiscal year, the Mongla Port Authority earned a record Tk 3.43 billion (Tk 343.33 crore) in revenue by handling 10.41 million tonnes of cargo. Net profit reached Tk 621 million (Tk 62.10 crore), exceeding the target of Tk 205 million (Tk 20.50 crore) by 203.49 per cent.

Port sources said dredging work on several river routes, including the Mongla–Ghasiakhali channel, has improved navigability, allowing larger vessels to berth directly at the jetty and increasing the potential for higher vessel traffic.

Officials noted that the port has achieved significant gains in container handling, cargo throughput and vessel arrivals in recent years. Shipping Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Mohammad Yusuf and other senior officials visited the port several times last year and issued directives for its development and expansion.

Following government instructions, the port authority has been holding regular meetings with shipping agents, C&F agents, stevedores and other stakeholders to ensure smooth operations. To further boost vessel arrivals and trade, the MPA has also formed an Internal Business Development Standing Committee, which officials say is already yielding positive results.