Bangladesh Forms Joint Port-Customs Committee to Fast-Track Cargo Clearance at Chattogram

Chattogram, August 11, 2026 — The Bangladesh government has ordered the formation of a joint committee bringing together the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) and customs authorities to dismantle long-standing trade bottlenecks, accelerate cargo clearance, and reduce the cost of doing business at the country's principal seaport. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury announced the decision after chairing a high-level meeting with senior port and customs officials at Chattogram Port on Monday.

🚢 Why Chattogram Port Matters for Bangladesh's Export Economy

Chattogram handles over 90 percent of Bangladesh's external trade by volume, making it the single most critical logistics node in a country that exported more than $45 billion in goods last fiscal year. Delays at the port ripple through the entire export supply chain — from garment factories in Gazipur and Narayanganj to pharmaceutical plants in Dhaka and agro-processors across the southwest. Even a 24-hour reduction in average dwell time translates into hundreds of crores of working capital freed up for exporters.

The joint committee mechanism aims to address persistent friction between port operations and customs assessment — two functions that have historically operated in silos, despite serving the same traders. By forcing both agencies onto a single coordination platform with time-bound mandates, the government hopes to compress dwell times and bring Bangladesh's port efficiency closer to regional peers like Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

👥 Committee Mandate and Structure

The minister outlined a focused mandate for the new joint committee:

• ⚡ Expedite cargo clearance — reduce average dwell time for both import and export containers
• 🤝 Improve inter-agency coordination — resolve operational disputes between CPA and customs in real time
• 💰 Lower business costs — strip out procedural inefficiencies that inflate landed costs
• 🛃 Remove trade barriers — identify and eliminate regulatory friction points
• ⏳ Time-bound dispute resolution — every emerging issue gets a specific deadline for closure

“Nothing has been left open-ended. Each decision has been given a specific timeframe for implementation,” Khosru told journalists, signalling a sharp departure from the open-ended working groups that have historically produced little measurable change at the port.

🏛️ Deregulation Push Anchored in Trillion-Dollar Vision

The port-customs committee is the latest in a series of deregulation moves by the interim government, which has set its sights on a $1 trillion economy by 2034. Khosru framed the Chattogram reforms as essential infrastructure for that trajectory.

“We are taking steps towards deregulation to remove the obstacles businesses have faced due to various regulations and complexities,” the minister said. “If cargo can be cleared and exports processed in less time, businesses will have lower operating costs. The benefit will ultimately reach consumers as well.”

He added that faster and more cost-effective import-export procedures would directly improve Bangladesh's competitiveness in international markets — a critical priority as the country prepares for LDC graduation in November 2026 and the erosion of duty-free access in key developed markets.

👥 New Mooring Container Terminal Operator Questioned

On the politically sensitive issue of who should operate the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) — a long-running dispute between the port authority and private operators — Khosru struck a pragmatic tone. He argued that the operating entity matters less than the framework under which it works.

“Whether the port is operated by domestic or foreign entities is not the main issue. Whoever operates the port must work under the same rules, protecting the interests of the country's economy, people and businesses,” he said. The statement effectively clears the path for either public or private operation, provided that a level playing field is enforced.

⚖️ Anti-Corruption Pledge and Factory Reopenings

The minister also addressed long-standing allegations of irregularities in customs enforcement, including the seizure of illegal goods. He pledged a strict anti-corruption stance, warning that no individual — however powerful — would be shielded from accountability.

“There will be no scope for corruption, nepotism or patronage under the current government. No matter how powerful those involved in irregularities are, they will not receive any concession,” Khosru declared. He also signalled that the government's broader factory-reopening strategy is designed to create a lower-cost, lower-friction industrial environment — an implicit reference to recent controversies over closed plants owned by politically connected conglomerates.

🌏 ADB Backing for Chattogram's Broader Transformation

Beyond immediate port operations, the minister revealed that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) vice-president is visiting Chattogram as part of a broader multilateral push to transform the city. The ADB has major development plans for Chattogram, and a stakeholder meeting was held on Sunday to align on an integrated vision.

Khosru was emphatic that Chattogram should not be developed merely as a logistics hub, but as a leading centre of broader economic development — signalling potential investments in industrial parks, urban infrastructure, and value-added services that complement port operations.

📊 Strategic Context: Why This Matters for Exporters

For Bangladesh's export community, the joint committee carries tangible stakes:

• 📦 RMG exporters — shorter lead times mean tighter compliance with Western buyer delivery windows
• 💊 Pharmaceuticals — faster clearance of active pharmaceutical ingredient imports reduces inventory costs
• 🌾 Agro-processors — perishable cargo benefits most from compressed dwell times
• 🧵 Jute and leather — lower logistics costs improve price competitiveness in EU and Asian markets
• 💵 FX impact — faster cargo turnaround frees up working capital and reduces dollar demand for inventory financing

The Chattogram reform comes at a pivotal moment. With RMG exports under pressure from US tariff uncertainty, FDI inflows needing acceleration, and LDC graduation looming, every hour saved at the port strengthens Bangladesh's case as a reliable, cost-competitive sourcing destination. The joint committee may not be a silver bullet, but it signals that the government finally recognises logistics as a strategic export lever — not just an administrative backwater.