There is already a kind of stagnation and uncertainty in the country’s economy. Added to this are concerns over Trump’s increased tariffs and the announcement of higher service charges at privately owned inland container depots. In such a situation, Chattogram's port tariff hike has come as a double blow.

The government says that charges for most port services have not been raised since 1986. While rates for five services, including port tax, berthing fees, forklift charges and other utility costs, were slightly adjusted in the 2007-08 fiscal, all other charges have remained unchanged since 1986. Therefore, the government argues, raising tariffs is necessary to expand the port’s capacity. There is, however, a catch in this argument: port charges are collected in US dollars. In 1986, the dollar stood at 30 taka 41 paisa. It is now 122 taka. So, even without any official tariff hikes, the increase in the exchange rate has automatically pushed up charges by more than four times.

Chittagong Port is a service-oriented institution. According to the Chattogram Port Authority’s annual report, one of its key commitments is to provide port services at the lowest possible cost and in the shortest possible time. As a service provider that plays a crucial role in the national economy, the justification for raising its tariffs is questionable, especially since the port is not operating at a loss. For example, in the 2024-25 fiscal year, the port earned 5,227 crore taka against an expenditure of 2,314 crore taka, resulting in a profit of 2,913 crore taka. Why would a state-run service institution that makes nearly 3,000 crore taka in profit annually need to raise tariffs in this way?