Chattogram sea port has moved six notches up to become the 64th busiest container port among 100 top ports across the world, according to the latest Lloyd’s List -- world’s oldest journal on port and shipping.

The 2019 edition of Lloyd’s List of One Hundred Ports has recently been published, tallying up the annual container throughput figures of the world’s elite port facilities in 2018. 

The port handled a total of 2,903,996 TEUs (twenty equivalent units) of containers in 2018, up from 2,667,223 TEUs in 2017, posting 8.9 percent annual growth in container handling. 

The port was ranked 70th in 2018 and 71st in 2017 in the list.

Chinese port of Shanghai with a throughput of 42.01 million TEUs clinched the top position in this year’s chart.

According to the Lloyd’s List, the global growth in container throughput in 2018 -- although fragmented -- was strong.

It stated that the slowing economic growth in China did little to hinder throughput development, while South Asia’s rise as a box trade powerhouse gathered pace.

A total of 22 Chinese ports are on the chart while two Indian ports -- Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Mundra port -- secured 28th and 36th positions respectively. 

Sri Lankan port of Colombo has been ranked 24th in the list.

Chittagong Port is 19 steps ahead of Pakistan’s Port of Karachi which secured 83rd.

Chittagong port handles 98 percent of the total container throughput in the country while Mongla handles the rest.

Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Rear Admiral Zulfiquer Aziz mentioned a number of reasons behind the enhancement of the port’s capacity that contributed to the achievement.

The port’s yard space has been widened at around 1 million square metre, enhancing its capacity to store more containers, the chairman said, adding that 6 quayside gantry cranes were added to its fleet, which have accelerated the port’s container handling capacity to a great extent.

Moreover, creating an environment for the stakeholders to work round the clock has also increased the throughput, he added.

Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Mahbubul Alam said the port’s progress in the ranking was showing that container transport through the port had been on the rise and it happened thanks to the growing business activities in the country.

The port is still lagging behind in terms of providing service due to lack of enough jetties, which is resulting in vessel congestion at the sea as well as container congestion at the jetties, Mahbub said.