Infrastructural development and economic growth are complementary. Modern facilities pave the way for economic expansion and vice versa. The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has surely realised the fact much more than anyone else. Arranging a little better facility, the largest seaport of the country handled record 32.55 lakh TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers during the immediate past fiscal year 2021-22. The container handling marked a 5.1 per cent rise from the previous year while overall cargo handling also grew by 3.91 per cent. Given the worldwide trade and commerce crises, firstly induced by the pandemic and later by the Russia-Ukraine war, this is a major success for the CPA.
It is worth mentioning how the Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting the world economy for nearly three years by creating an almost standstill situation in regards to export and import business. The sanctions centring on the Russia-Ukraine war have added to economic woes. Despite these limitations, the port has been busier thanks to CPA’s initiatives that include efficient management of all activities, increased number of sophisticated equipment and uninterrupted services during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, they have successfully launched direct container transportation services to different destinations in Europe and other continents to overcome the challenges created by the war. With the achievement of the CPA, Chattogram Customs House earned Tk. 59,256 crore revenue in the just-concluded fiscal year which is 15 per cent higher than that of the previous year.
