Arrival of commercial ships increases , record car imports in  Mongla Port 

S.M. Saiful Islam Kabir, Sundarbans

Located along the coast of the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, Mongla—the country’s second-largest seaport in the southwestern region—has seen a significant rise in the arrival of foreign commercial ships in the current fiscal year. The increase in container and machinery-carrying vessels has also boosted the port’s revenue. Officials, employees, and workers at the port are now experiencing a notably busy period.

Currently, about 60% of the reconditioned vehicles imported into the country are unloaded through Mongla Port, marking a historic record for the port. Additionally, the import of machinery for various mega projects continues to contribute to increased revenue.

According to port authorities, despite a global economic slowdown, Mongla Port’s import-export operations have remained unaffected. On the contrary, operational activities have expanded. Recently, the port authority signed a Tk 4,000 crore (approximately USD 367 million) agreement with the Chinese government to implement several development projects, which, once completed, will greatly enhance the port’s capacity.

Md. Makruzzaman, Deputy Director, Public Relations  of Mongla Port Authority, said,  from July of the current fiscal year to May 13, a total of 725 foreign ships have arrived at the port. Among them, 22 ships delivered 10,374 reconditioned vehicles, and the port has handled 9,327,214 metric tons of cargo. All indicators show an upward trend in the port’s performance.

Currently, at Jetty No. 5, an Indonesian-flagged container ship, MV Selatondamai, is docked. The vessel is 115.49 meters long with a draft of 7.25 meters and is carrying 324 TEUs of containers, which are currently being unloaded. At Jetty No. 6, another commercial vessel, MV Fesco Olga, flying the Russian flag, is anchored. This vessel is 138.1 meters long with a draft of 7.4 meters and is carrying 2,195 metric tons of machinery.

Rear Admiral Mohammad Shahin Rahman, Chairman of the Mongla Port Authority said, the most crucial factor for vessel arrivals at Mongla Port is maintaining the navigability of the channel. Recently, dredging of the outer bar of the port channel was completed, allowing large vessels to dock directly at the jetties. Once the ongoing inner bar dredging is completed, more ships will be able to call at the port.”