Have missing containers shaken Ctg port’s credibility?

Chattogram port, Bangladesh's busiest maritime gateway, plays a central role in the country's trade, handling nearly 95 percent of imports and exports. Its smooth operation is critical not only for the $100 billion maritime trade it facilitates annually but also for the broader competitiveness of Bangladesh's economy as it prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country status.

In recent months, however, three goods-laden containers have reportedly gone unaccounted for within the port's secured premises, prompting concern among traders, logistics operators and analysts.

While the port authority maintains that the missing containers are likely still on site, the incidents have highlighted the operational and oversight challenges that accompany the rapid growth of Bangladesh's trade volumes.

Of the missing containers, two, containing 51 tonnes of fabric, had already been auctioned by customs in February after importers failed to clear them. The third one, a 40-foot container, was found missing in April. In each case, the goods had entered the port and passed into official custody. In each case, they could not be traced.

"I had personally inspected the goods before winning the auction but was told by port officials on February 25 that the containers could not be found," Mohammad Selim Reza, buyer of one of the containers, said.

The container that went missing in April was declared to hold 25 tonnes of fabric.

The container, which arrived at the port on December 29 last year aboard MV Maersk Songkhla from Ningbo Port, was stored at the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT). It was declared under the Import General Manifest (IGM) by shipping agent CMX (Pvt) Ltd, listing Seasons Dresses Ltd of Tongi, Gazipur as the importer.

However, Md Bahauddin Chowdhury, managing director of Seasons Dresses Ltd, denied any knowledge of the shipment. "My company has been shut down for 11 months."

The port authority maintains that the containers are likely still inside the premises. But with six months having passed since the first disappearance, importers and analysts see the incidents as evidence of weaknesses in Bangladesh's most critical trade hub.

This is not without precedent. In 2018, customs authorities reported that 295 consignments had gone missing from Chattogram's restricted area. They were supposed to be auctioned after importers failed to claim them. A high-level probe committee was formed, but no clear explanation was ever made public.

The recurrence has revived long-standing questions about how such losses can happen in a system designed to leave little room for irregularities.

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

Normally, before cargo arrives, shipping agents must file an Import General Manifest with the revenue authority. Clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents then lodge a Bill of Entry, which contains the relevant banking details and a full description of the goods on the server.

They also submit all related documents to customs officials in person, initiating the assessment process of the goods. After all the duties are paid and the paperwork is submitted, the importer becomes eligible to take delivery.

Goods not cleared within 30 days are placed under auction, with bidders allowed to inspect them beforehand. At each stage, documentation, surveillance, and physical checks are meant to ensure accountability.

If there is any intelligence tip-off or suspicion, customs authorities may intercept the consignment at any stage from importation to delivery.

In such cases, the goods are subjected to 100 percent physical inspection. The customs either imposes penalties and releases the cargo, or confiscates it altogether if a false declaration is proven.

In theory, the system leaves little scope for irregularities. But the disappearance of containers at multiple stages suggests that safeguards are not always functioning as intended.

MAJOR RISKS

Masrur Reaz, an economist and chairman of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, warns of major risks, including damage to the country's reputation and security threats.

"The disappearance of goods or goods-loaded containers from a high-security zone like a port is extremely rare worldwide. Such incidents are not considered normal at any international port," he said.

There are several repercussions to such incidents, he noted.

First, if cargo under official custody can vanish undetected, it raises questions about whether items of potential security concern might also slip through, he said.

Second, there is the matter of lost revenue, since auctioned goods that never reach buyers represent foregone state income. "Besides, the lapse also exposes serious flaws in our border and port security."

Third, and perhaps most long-term, is the reputational damage. "Such incidents damage our credibility abroad, as trading partners and foreign companies form negative perceptions about Bangladesh," Reaz said.

Globally, the loss of containers is typically associated with accidents at sea. The World Shipping Council recorded 576 containers lost worldwide in 2024, up from a record-low 221 in 2023 but still well below the decade-long average. It did not, however, report any cases of containers going missing inside ports.

"AUTHORITY TREATING THE ISSUE TOO LIGHTLY"

For veteran shipping agent Syed Mohammad Arif, who has spent four decades in the trade, the situation is perplexing.

"To the best of my knowledge, I have not heard of a container going missing from any other port," he said.

"How can a container go missing? This is quite big in size. If you have CCTV surveillance in all the places, nothing is supposed to be lost."

Arif alleges that removing a container from inside the port requires collusion among terminal operators, port officials, and customs staff. "A large-scale smuggling syndicate is believed to be behind these disappearances."

Criticising the port authority's action, he said, "Three containers have gone missing in recent months. The port authority is treating the issue too lightly, which is why those involved have not been identified."

"If there are lapses in security, even consignments threatening national security could be released. The government must launch a thorough investigation," he added.

Khairul Alam Sujan, vice president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association, echoed Arif's sentiment. "Reports of missing containers are virtually unheard of in other ports around the world."

He, however, noted that Chattogram port is not comparable with most global ports.

"This is because while most ports globally focus solely on container handling, Chattogram port not only manages container operations but also has to ensure security and storage of goods," he added.

WHAT AUTHORITIES SAY

Omar Faruk, secretary of Chittagong Port Authority, said it cannot yet be confirmed that the container has gone missing. "We are hopeful they are still somewhere inside the port."

Speaking about the port's action in ensuring safety, he said eight people from two syndicates were arrested earlier this year for attempting to steal container-laden goods from the secured port area. Two cases have been filed against them, and they were handed over to the police. "The port authority has since remained on high alert."

He also said a probe committee has been formed to investigate the recent incidents.

"The committee will examine all existing tools at the port, including CCTV footage and container-tracking systems, to identify the exact location of the missing containers.

"If the containers cannot be traced, the investigation will also determine who moved them, when they were removed, and how the process took place. No comment can be made until the inquiry is complete," he said.

Referring to the allegations of missing containers in 2018, he said it was too long ago for him to make any comment on the matter now.

NEED INDEPENDENT SCRUTINY

However, critics say such probes don't lead to productive results.

Muinul Islam, a former economics professor at Chattogram University, argues that such incidents have been reported for a long time. But real facts rarely come to light, even though inquiries are conducted.

"This is because the very beneficiaries of these irregularities are often the ones heading the investigation committees," he alleged.

Without independent scrutiny and credible punishment, he suggests, systemic weaknesses are unlikely to be addressed.

Echoing Reaz, he said, "Our port management does not already have a bright reputation internationally, and you could say this will only make it worse."

For the trade community, the implications go beyond the missing consignments themselves. Chattogram handles nearly all of Bangladesh's maritime trade.

Its efficiency and security are central to the $450 billion Bangladeshi economy's export competitiveness as it prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country status. Disappearing containers, however rare, strike at the credibility of that system.