Import container dwell time at Bangladesh’s principal seaport, Chattogram Port, has increased despite ongoing customs digitisation and procedural reforms, highlighting persistent inefficiencies in the country’s trade logistics ecosystem.
According to the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Indicators (LPI), the average import container dwell time at Chattogram Port rose from 7.8 days in 2023 to 8.3 days in 2024. Bangladesh Customs’ Time Release Study (TRS) 2022 had estimated average container clearance time at around 11 days, while customs officials said dwell time remained above 11 days in 2025.
Officials attribute the delays not only to customs procedures but also to inefficiencies involving importers, shipping agents and port operators. Chattogram Customs House (CCH) has urged importers to submit the Bill of Entry (B/E) within 10 hours of cargo arrival, noting that many importers take more than a week to file declarations, delaying the clearance process.
Customs officials said that once the Bill of Entry is submitted, the customs clearance process generally takes less than two days. However, delays in receiving original shipping documents from overseas suppliers and the reluctance of shipping agents to accept scanned copies continue to slow documentation.
The World Bank also noted that container vessels spend nearly 50% of their port time waiting at anchorage in Chattogram, significantly higher than the global average of about one-third, reflecting congestion and operational bottlenecks.
World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, Jean Pesme, said Bangladesh’s logistics costs account for 15.6% of GDP, with congestion at Chattogram Port—handling over 80% of the country’s international trade—affecting competitiveness, investment and employment.
To address capacity constraints, the World Bank is supporting a $650 million Bay Terminal project, which is expected to accommodate larger vessels, expand deep-sea capacity and generate estimated economic savings of around $1 million per day. The Bank is also supporting customs modernisation, port digitisation, institutional reforms and logistics improvements.
Industry stakeholders stressed that infrastructure expansion is equally important. Former American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh President Syed Ershad Ahmed called for faster implementation of the Bay Terminal, relocation of the Kamalapur Inland Container Depot to Dhirasram, expansion of modern warehousing and cold-chain facilities, and comprehensive customs automation.
Policy Exchange Bangladesh Chairman Dr. M. Masrur Reaz said import volumes have outpaced port capacity and urged Bangladesh to invest in additional berths, improve crane productivity, optimise equipment utilisation and adopt globally competitive terminal management practices to reduce container dwell time and improve trade efficiency.
