Berthing Priority at Chattogram: Queue, Draft and Terminal Acceptance
First-come-first-served, with a priority layer on top, and a few documentation habits that genuinely change your place in line.
Practical position. Berthing prospect is not a guaranteed slot. Draft, cargo readiness, terminal programme and queue position control acceptance. The desk reports the current prospect; Harbour Master and terminal keep the allocation decision.
"Why is my vessel locked at anchorage" is one of the most common questions an agent fields, and the honest answer is rarely as simple as "the port is busy." Berthing at Chattogram runs on a first-come-first-served basis, with a layered priority system on top of it, and understanding where your vessel sits in that system tells you a lot more than the raw congestion numbers do. Queue position, berth prospect, permissible draft, pilot boarding and cargo-working conditions can change with the latest CPA notice, tide, traffic, equipment, labour and receiver readiness.
The headline numbers, and why they're better than they used to be
2025 was actually a strong year by CPA's own reporting, CPA-reported averages for January–November 2025 put vessel turnaround at about 2.53 days and container dwell at about 9.44 days. More tellingly, the port recorded multiple days of zero vessel waiting time in the back half of the year: 9 days in September, 18 in October, 26 each in November and December. That's a real improvement from the congestion Chattogram was known for a few years ago, driven by a mix of NCT's added gantry cranes, CDDL's management takeover, and Patenga absorbing more volume as its equipment came online.
How berth allocation actually decides who goes next
The base rule is first come, first served, arrival order generally governs queue position. But CPA's own berthing instructions carve out explicit priority categories that jump the queue: 24/48-hour express turnarounds, RORO and container vessels, and export loaders that require another vessel to be shifted out of the harbour to free up space. Those priority vessels are also held to a tighter pilotage reporting window, 6 hours before the day's predicted high water instead of the standard 3, because the whole point is to move them through fast.
Berth-specific quirks add another layer. Vessels with a bow-mounted bridge, tankers, and anything with containers stacked high enough to block forward visibility don't get handled at night at all. Vessels under 7 knots service speed get classed as Grade II for operational handling, not a penalty exactly, but it does shape how they're slotted in relative to faster vessels needing the same berth window.
Where congestion still actually bites
NCT is the terminal most likely to run over its rated capacity, the terminal's yard is built for around 1.2 million TEU a year and has handled noticeably more than that in recent years, which is the kind of overcapacity figure where queue delays show up first. CCT runs steadier because its allocated volume is smaller and more predictable. PCT, even at partial capacity through 2025, actually helped relieve pressure on the older terminals rather than adding to it, which is part of why CPA pushed so hard to get its scanner and gantry cranes finished.
What actually moves a vessel up the practical queue
Outside any published traffic category, the agent's practical contribution is timely and accurate submission of draft, LOA, gear status, cargo type, DG declarations and receiver or terminal readiness. Complete particulars do not create priority, but incomplete or late information can prevent the authority from confirming berth suitability and may cause the vessel to be bypassed while the issue is resolved.
Worried About Berth Delays?
Send vessel name and IMO number, LOA, beam, arrival draft, cargo and gear details, ETA and intended berth or anchorage. The duty desk will report the current queue, permissible movement window and any separate lighterage, terminal or survey requirement.