UN/LOCODE: BDCGP📍 Bangladesh
Port of Chittagong (UN/LOCODE BDCGP)
❖ Coordinates: 22.3475°N, 91.8123°E
❖ Time Zone: Asia/Dhaka
❖ UN/LOCODE: BDCGP
## About the Port
Chittagong Port (UN/LOCODE: **BDCGP**) is the principal seaport of Bangladesh and the busiest maritime gateway in the Bay of Bengal. Situated on the Karnaphuli River estuary at latitude **22.3475365° N** and longitude **91.8123324° E**, the port handles over **90 %** of the country’s international trade by volume. Its strategic location—approximately 250 km southeast of the capital Dhaka and adjacent to the Chittagong Hill Tracts—provides direct access to the hinterland via road, rail, and inland waterway networks. The port operates under the Bangladesh Port Authority (BPA) and follows the **Asia/Dhaka (UTC+6)** timezone. Recent expansions have increased its annual container handling capacity to roughly **3.2 million TEU**, positioning Chittagong among the top‑20 container ports in South Asia.
## History
The origins of Chittagong Port trace back to antiquity, with records indicating Arab and Persian traders using the Karnaphuli estuary as early as the **8th century**. During the Mughal era (16th–18th centuries), the port flourished as a hub for cotton, silk, and spice exports to the Indian subcontinent and beyond. British colonial administration formalized port infrastructure in the **late 19th century**, constructing the first concrete wharves and installing a railway link to the interior in 1865.
After the Partition of India in 1947, Chittagong became the primary seaport of East Pakistan. The 1971 Liberation War inflicted substantial damage, but post‑independence reconstruction saw the port’s cargo throughput rebound to tons** by the mid‑1980s. The turn of the millennium ushered in a series of modernization drives: the **2005–2015 Chittagong Port Modernization Project** (financed by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank) deepened the main channel to **‑12.5 m** and added two new container terminals. In 2022, the port inaugurated the **Patenga Deep‑Water Terminal**, capable of accommodating vessels up to **18,000 TEU**, reinforcing its ambition to serve as a transshipment hub for the Bay of Bengal region.
## Infrastructure & Facilities
### Berths and Terminals
Chittagong Port comprises **22 operational berths** spread across three main zones:
- **Karnaphuli River Berths (KRB)** – 12 general‑cargo berths handling bulk, breakbulk, and liquid cargoes.
- **New Mooring Berths (NMB)** – 6 specialized berths for container vessels, equipped with ship‑to‑shore gantry cranes (up to **45 t** outreach) and rubber‑tyred gantry (RTG) yards.
- **Patenga Deep‑Water Terminal (PDWT)** – 4 deep‑water berths (‑14.5 m draft) with automated stacking cranes and a dedicated railway spur.
### Handling Equipment
The port’s cargo‑handling inventory includes:
- **30+ ship‑to‑shore cranes** (average lift capacity 40–45 t).
- **150+ yard cranes** (RTGs and RMGs) supporting high‑density container stacking.
- **Mobile harbour cranes** and **forklifts** for breakbulk and project cargo.
- **Liquid cargo infrastructure**: 12 storage tanks (total capacity ~1.2 million m³) for petroleum, chemicals, and LPG, complemented by a dedicated jetty for crude oil discharge.
### Connectivity
- **Rail**: A broad‑gauge (1,676 mm) line links the port to Dhaka, Khulna, and the Indian border at Benapole, with a dedicated container train service operating at 25 km/h.
- **Road**: The Dhaka–Chittagong Highway (N1) and the Chittagong–Cox’s Bazar Highway (N106) provide all‑weather access; recent upgrades have reduced average truck turn‑around time to under **4 hours**.
- **Inland Waterways**: The Karnaphuli River and the surrounding canal network facilitate barge movements to inland districts such as Rangamati and Khagrachari.
- **Customs & IT**: The port operates a **National Single Window (NSW)** system integrated with the ASYCUDA World platform, enabling electronic submission of customs, quarantine, and tax documents. Average vessel clearance time has dropped from 48 hours (pre‑2018) to approximately **18 hours**.
## Economic Importance
Chittagong Port is the linchpin of Bangladesh’s export‑oriented economy, contributing roughly **12 %** of the nation’s GDP. Key economic indicators underscore its significance:
- **Annual cargo throughput**: ~**115 million tons** (FY 2023‑24), comprising **70 %** containerized goods, **20 %** bulk (coal, cement, fertilizer), and **10 %** liquid cargo.
- **Employment**: Direct employment exceeds **15,000** workers, with an additional **40,000** jobs generated in logistics, warehousing, and ancillary services.
- **Foreign exchange earnings**: Export commodities such as ready‑made garments (RMG), jute goods, leather, and fish products account for over **USD 30 billion** annually, the majority of which transit through Chittagong.
- **Regional hub potential**: With the ongoing **Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIGB)** initiative and the proposed **Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Tunnel** linking Chittagong to the western hinterland, the port is poised to capture transshipment traffic from India’s northeastern states, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
The port’s performance is regularly benchmarked by the **World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI)**, where Bangladesh’s maritime logistics score improved from **2.31** (2018) to **2.68** (2023), reflecting Chittagong’s infrastructural upgrades and procedural reforms.
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
### Primary Trade Lanes
Chittagong’s liner services connect to:
- **East Asia**: Direct calls to Shanghai, Ningbo, Busan, and Hong Kong (average transit time 10–12 days).
- **Southeast Asia**: Regular feeds to Singapore, Port Klang, and Ho Chi Minh City.
- **Middle East & Europe**: Via transshipment hubs in Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Salalah (Oman), enabling access to Jeddah, Dubai, Rotterdam, and Hamburg.
- **Intra‑South Asia**: Feeder vessels to Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai facilitate bilateral trade with India.
### Commodity Profile
| Cargo Type | Share of Total Throughput | Key Commodities |
|------------|---------------------------|-----------------|
| Containers | ~70 % | RMG textiles, footwear, electronics, agricultural products, machinery |
| Dry Bulk | ~20 % | Coal (for power plants), clinker, cement, fertilizer, grain |
| Liquid Bulk | ~10 % | Crude oil, refined petroleum, LPG, chemicals, edible oils |
| Project/Heavy Lift | <1 % | Wind turbine components, offshore rig parts, industrial plant modules |
The port’s **container yard utilization** averages **85 %**, with peak periods (November–February) seeing berth occupancy exceed **95 %** due to the garment export season. To mitigate congestion, the BPA has instituted a **slot‑booking system** for vessel arrivals and extended gate operating hours to **20:00** local time.
### Future Outlook
Planned enhancements include:
- **Deepening the main navigation channel to ‑15 m** to accommodate post‑Panamax vessels.
- **Constructing a second container terminal** (estimated capacity 1.8 million TEU) on the reclaimed land at Patenga.
- **Implementing a shore‑power‑to‑ship (cold‑ironing) system** to reduce emissions from berthed vessels.
- **Expanding the inland container depot network** to improve hinterland connectivity and reduce dwell time.
These initiatives aim to raise Chittagong’s annual container handling capacity to **5 million TEU** by 2030, solidifying its role as a pivotal logistics node in the Bay of Bengal and a catalyst for Bangladesh’s continued socioeconomic development.
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
BDCGP
Country
Bangladesh
Province / Region
Chittagong Division
Latitude
22.347537
Longitude
91.812332
Timezone
Asia/Dhaka
Nautical Map (OpenSeaMap)
Loading Map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Chittagong?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Chittagong is BDCGP.
Where is Port of Chittagong located?
The Port of Chittagong is located in Bangladesh, Chittagong Division. Its coordinates are 22.3475°N, 91.8123°E.
What time zone is Port of Chittagong in?
Port of Chittagong operates in the Asia/Dhaka time zone.
Scanning Local Infrastructure...
About the World Port Index
This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.
📍 Nearby Ports
Other maritime facilities geographically close to Chittagong.
Dhaka
Bangladesh • 217 km awayMongla
Bangladesh • 228 km awayChalna
Bangladesh • 238 km awayKolkata (ex Calcutta)
India • 357 km away