Supply chain bottlenecks at the nation’s primary maritime gateway have left approximately 21 lakh tons of essential consumer goods stranded at sea.

As of Friday, 46 mother vessels remain anchored at the Chattogram Port’s outer anchorage, unable to discharge their cargo due to a critical shortage of storage space and a dwindling fleet of lighterage vessels.

The congestion comes at a sensitive time, as importers ramp up supplies of wheat, oilseeds, and pulses to meet the surge in demand for the upcoming Ramadan.

Port data reveals that out of a total cargo volume of 23.46 lakh tons currently at the outer anchorage, only 11 lakh tons had been successfully moved by Thursday morning, leaving roughly 12 lakh tons in limbo.

In addition, 25 ships carrying 13.5 lakh tons of wheat have arrived, with six lakh tons already unloaded. Seven ships brought in 2.36 lakh tons of chickpeas, lentils, and peas, of which 1.50 lakh tons have been unloaded. Nine ships carrying 4.39 lakh tons of oilseeds have seen three lakh tons unloaded so far.

Chattogram Port officials said that on average, 50,000 to 60,000 tons of consumer goods are transferred daily from large ships to lighter ships, which then deliver the goods to different wharves for unloading. However, the shortage of warehouses among many companies is causing delays.

The Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC) reported that 265 lighter ships have been stranded at various wharves across the country for about one and a half months, including 122 carrying consumer goods.

Mejbah Uddin, Manager of MST Marine Enterprise, said importers are struggling to unload goods promptly due to insufficient storage facilities. The number of lighter ships in use has also decreased from around 1,200 to 1,022, further slowing operations.