Owners of private inland container depots (ICDs) have revised tariffs for three types of services related to handling containers to and from Patenga Container Terminal, a privately operated terminal of Chattogram port.

The Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association in a recent circular announced that the charges would be raised by Tk 1,000 to Tk 2,000 per container.

The new charges will take effect from April 1.

According to the circular, the charge for transporting a 20-foot empty container from the Patenga terminal to the depots has been increased from Tk 1,705 to Tk 2,705, while for a 40-foot container, the charge has been raised from Tk 3,410 to Tk 5,410.

The export-loaded container handling package charge has been raised for a 20-foot container from Tk 6,187 to Tk 7,187, while for a 40-foot container, it has been increased from Tk 8,250 to Tk 10,250.

This package includes multiple services, such as transporting an empty container from a depot's own yard to its container freight station (CFS), loading export cargo into the container at the CFS, moving the loaded container back to the depot yard, and later transporting the loaded container from the depot to the PCT for shipment.

The import container handling charge for a 20-foot container has been raised from Tk 12,605 to Tk 13,605, while for a 40-foot container, it has been increased from Tk 14,557 to Tk 16,557.

Md Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of the association, said that since operations started at the Patenga terminal in June, ICDs have been charging for these services based on the rates set for containers transported to and from Chattogram port.

Since the distance between the ICDs and the Patenga terminal is significantly greater than that between the ICDs and Chattogram port, transport costs and transit times have increased accordingly. To offset these higher expenses, the charges have been adjusted, Sikder said.