Business Desk:
The continuous work stoppage and complete closure of shipping at Chittagong port have created a terrible crisis in the country’s import-export trade. Terming this deadlock as a ‘catastrophe’ for the national economy, leaders of the country’s top 10 business organizations have sought immediate intervention from the government at the highest level to resolve the situation.
They issued a joint statement in this regard after an emergency meeting held at the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) office in Gulshan, the capital, on Thursday (February 5, 2026).
In a joint statement, the presidents of the Employers Federation of Bangladesh, BCI, MCCI, DCCI, BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA, BTTLMEA, BGAPMEA and BGBA said that this is the first time in the history of Chittagong Port that even shipping has stopped completely, which is a rare and very worrying incident. They mentioned that if the country’s main seaport is closed for a day, the economy suffers a direct loss of several thousand crores of taka.
The leaders said that due to the port’s standstill, import and export activities of all sectors, including ready-made garments, have come to a standstill. On the one hand, raw materials of the industries are not reaching on time, while on the other hand, it is not possible to ship the finished products as they are stuck at the port. This makes it impossible to meet the deadlines given to international buyers.
They expressed concern that if this situation continues for a few more days, major purchase orders may be canceled and foreign buyers may take a tough decision to shift sourcing from Bangladesh, which will be a serious blow to the country’s export sector.
The statement also said that the country’s production and export sectors are already under unprecedented pressure due to declining demand in the global market, increasing production costs and global geopolitical instability. In the meantime, due to the severe container congestion caused by the port’s standstill, demurrage charges, port charges and storage rent are increasing rapidly, which is directly increasing production costs and will have a negative impact on foreign trade in the long term.
On the other hand, the leaders said that the holy month of Ramadan is ahead. If the crisis is not resolved now, there will be a delay in reaching the market of daily necessities, resulting in an artificial crisis and the prices of goods may go beyond the reach of the common people.
Business leaders also said that due to the delay in shipments, instability is also creating in bank loans and LC management. Failure to pay the debt on time could pose a major risk to the entire financial sector. They also mentioned that Bangladesh’s image in the international market is being seriously damaged due to the port’s standstill.
The statement humbly appealed to the current government,
“It is important to resolve the issue right now in the larger interest of the country and to keep the wheels of the economy moving. The new government can review the complications that have arisen with the NCT lease if it wants. But it is not desirable to keep the port idle on that pretext.”
At the same time, the leaders made a request to the labor unions,
“You are the lifeblood of this port. You have the right to demand, but stopping shipping means putting your own home at risk. The greatest patriotism of the moment is to move away from this exceptional position of responsibility towards the country’s economy and make the port operational.”
Finally, they expressed hope that the government and the agitating parties will quickly sit at the negotiating table and reach a sustainable solution today. Otherwise, it will not be possible for anyone to overcome this crisis.
