Bangladesh’s premier seaport, Chittagong Port, has successfully restored its 'Zero Waiting Time' status, bringing down the vessel stay at the outer anchorage to nil. 

This achievement has significantly reduced the turnaround time for ships and accelerated the pace of import-export activities, said Syed Refayet Hamim, Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).

According to port officials, this milestone is lowering business costs, making the supply chain more reliable, and enhancing Bangladesh's competitiveness in international trade.

The success is attributed to integrated planning, rigorous monitoring, and effective coordination among relevant agencies.

Earlier, Chittagong Port first achieved zero waiting time in September last year, maintaining the status through October, November, and December. 

However, operations faced a brief slowdown from late January to early February due to work abstentions and certain complexities.

With operations returning to full swing, the waiting time has once again been brought down to zero.

Syed Refayet said the port remained operational 24/7 even during the Eid holidays. 

Although the vessel waiting time had risen to 3–5 days just before Eid, intensified supervision and coordination by the authorities successfully eliminated the backlog at the outer anchorage, he added.

He said, "This reduces both time and costs for shipping companies. Importers are receiving goods faster, and exporters are meeting their shipping deadlines. The reduction in logistics costs is also having a positive impact on market prices, ultimately benefiting consumers."

Rostered duties for officials and employees ensured that port operations continued uninterrupted throughout the Eid break, he said.