Dhaka, Feb. 5 -- Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) on Thursday urged the government to take immediate steps to restore normal operations at Chattogram Port, warning that the prolonged shutdown is severely disrupting trade and could have far-reaching consequences for the national economy.

Describing Chattogram Port as the lifeline of Bangladesh's trade, the chamber said nearly 92 percent of the country's import-export activities are handled through the port, with an average clearance of around 260,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) per month, or about 9,000 TEUs daily.

However, port operations have remained completely halted since February 4, 2026, leaving around 54,000 containers stranded so far, the DCCI said in a medi...