Chattogram Port Targets a Paperless, Digitally Connected Future by December
Chattogram Port plans to digitise its operations by December 2026, linking services across customs, shipping, banks and logistics providers. The port authority says the changes aim to reduce paperwork, delays and congestion.
Reading
In a Nutshell:
- The Chattogram Port Authority plans to make the port’s operations fully paperless by December 2026, integrating existing digital services and replacing remaining manual processes.
- The port handled a record 3.4 million TEUs of containers, 138 million tonnes of general cargo and 4,273 vessels in 2025. It accounts for about 92% of Bangladesh’s seaborne general cargo and 98% of containerised trade.
- Shipping billing is already online entirely. A One-Stop Service Centre links payments with the port’s Terminal Operating System, while an automated system is planned to settle unpaid port charges after 72 hours.
- Time-slot management, online cart tickets and electronic gate passes are being introduced to schedule truck movements and ease queues at port entrances and exits.
- The port is also linking customs, container delivery and inland depot processes through digital platforms and data-sharing systems.
Context
The plan builds on digital services already in use at the port, including the CPA Sky platform, which gives users single-login access to port services, radar information and vessel tracking. The Terminal Operating System dashboard currently handles 60,000 to 65,000 gate entries a month, according to the port authority. The next step is to connect more of the processes used by importers, exporters, shipping lines, customs agents, freight operators and banks, rather than digitising each service separately. The authority says it aims to make the movement of goods from vessel arrival and billing to customs clearance and delivery more coordinated and trackable.
Why It Matters
Chattogram is Bangladesh’s main gateway for seaborne trade, so delays in port processes affect the movement and cost of imported and exported goods. A connected digital system may make documentation, payments and truck scheduling easier to track, while reducing the need for paper-based steps and repeated in-person coordination. Along with that, the port authority also expects the changes to ease traffic near entry and exit points and improve turnaround times.
What We Think
The port’s digitalisation plan is an operational upgrade. But also at the same time, earlier, BNP criticised the interim government’s authority to make long-term port agreements, while its government has kept the Laldia deal and says it has no plan to cancel or renegotiate it. In that case, it also deserves a clear explanation and the same standard of transparency BNP demanded earlier.