Chittagong Port generates Tk 900b in revenue

Government revenue generated through Chittagong Port, the country's main gateway for foreign trade, has increased further.

In the just-concluded 2025–26 fiscal year, nearly 112.5 million tonnes of goods were transported through the port.

The customs-assessed value of these imported and exported goods exceeded Tk 11 trillion.

The government treasury and the Chittagong Port Authority together earned around Tk 900 billion in revenue from cargo handling and customs assessment.

This information was revealed by analysing the data from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Chittagong Port Authority.

Chittagong Port is Bangladesh's principal hub for imports and exports. Most imported goods arriving through the port are assessed by the Chattogram Customs.

In addition, a portion of the goods transported through the port is assessed at the Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD), the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Keraniganj and the Chattogram EPZ Customs Station.

According to NBR data, 107.5 million tonnes of imported goods were cleared through Chattogram Port in the 2025–26. The customs-assessed value of these goods—including the value of the goods, freight, insurance and landing charges—stood at around Tk 5.85 trillion.

These goods generated around Tk 860 billion in government revenue through Chattogram Customs, Kamalapur Customs, Pangaon Customs and the Chattogram EPZ Customs Station.

In the previous fiscal year (2024–25), 101.6 million tonnes of imported goods were cleared. Their customs-assessed value stood at Tk 7.31 trillion, while revenue collection amounted to Tk 783.97 billion. As a result, the volume of imported goods increased by around 6 per cent over the year, while revenue collection rose by about 10 per cent.

During the just-concluded fiscal year, 4.9 million tonnes of export goods were transported through the port. The customs-assessed value of these goods stood at around Tk 5.16 trillion.

In the previous fiscal year, over 4.73 million tonnes of export goods were transported, with a customs-assessed value of Tk 5.14 trillion. In other words, export cargo volume increased by around 4 per cent, although the increase in customs-assessed value was less than 1 per cent.

However, except for a few specific products, exports are effectively exempt from customs duties and taxes. As a result, the export sector contributes very little to government revenue.

Sharif Mohammad Al Amin, assistant commissioner of Chattogram Customs, told Prothom Alo, "Compared with the 2024–25 fiscal, revenue collection at the Chattogram Customs House alone grew by 12.37 per cent in the just-concluded fiscal year. These revenue figures are still provisional. The total may increase further after the final accounts are published."

According to data from the Chittagong Port Authority, the port earned Tk 40.85 billion from handling all types of cargo, including containers and bulk cargo, during the 2025–26 fiscal. In the previous fiscal year, the port's revenue was Tk 31.73 billion.

Chittagong Port Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim told Prothom Alo, "Operating revenue increased by nearly 28 per cent compared with the 2024–25 fiscal."

According to port officials, the significant increase in revenue was driven by higher cargo volumes and tariff adjustments.

A portion of the port's revenue is deposited into the government treasury. The larger share is spent on port development, salaries and allowances, and other operational expenses.

Alongside government revenue, extensive private-sector economic activities have also developed around Chittagong Port. Twenty private container depots outside the port play an important role in handling import and export containers.

In addition, a large share of business in the service sector—including terminal operators, jetty operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders, C&F agents, truck operators and covered van operators—depends on the port.

However, there are no centralised statistics on the combined financial transactions of these sectors.

According to estimates by people involved in the trade, economic activities worth Tk several thousand crore are conducted around Chittagong Port every year outside the government's revenue framework.