CHITTAGONG. July 6: Chittagong port handled one crore fortynine lakh tonnes of export and import cargoes during the 1998-1999 fiscal which is an all-time high record, a press release of Chittagong Port Authority said here today, reports BSS.

The cargo handling during the period has also increased by twenty per cent in comparison with that of the last financial year (1997-1998).

Of the total quantity of goods handled, one crore 22 lakh tonnes were import cargoes, about 17 lakh tons export cargoes. about 32 thousand tons Nepali transit cargo goods and nine lakh sixty-five thousand tons internal ship transported goods.

Of the imported goods, 26 lakh tonnes were foodgrains. 30 lakh tonnes petroleum and petroleum goods, four lakh fifty thousand tonnes edible oils.

about 11 lakh tonnes cement, four lakh tonnes fertilizers, four lakh tonnes cement clinkers, one lakh 60 thousand tonnes sugar. 41 lakh 50 thousand tonnes general cargoes. More 23 lakh 50 thousand tonnes were containerised goods among the general cargoes.

The port handled about 27.75 per cent more cargoes in 1998-99 in comparison with the pastyear.

The export cargoes included four lakh 50 thousand tonnes urea fertilizer, one lakh 50 thousand tonnes ammonia fertiliser. more than one lakh tonnes jute and about two lakh ;onnes Jute goods, about three lakh twenty-five thousand tonnes readymade garments, about 50 thousand tonnes tea and more than four lakh tonnes of other goods.

Chittagong port handled more than 25.50 per cent im-

port and export cargoes in 1998-99 in comparison with the past year.

The port handled three lakh 66 thousand TEUs containers during 1998-99. Of the total number of containers handled during 1998-99. one lakh 84 thousand were import containers and one lakh 82 thousand were export containers.

The internal containers depot USD) in Dhaka handled more than 38 thousand TEUs containers during the year and of them 19 thousand TEUs containers were for import and 19 thousand TEUs containers were for export. The ISD in Dhaka handled 15 per cent more containers during 1998-99

Chittagong port handled 1.425 ships during 1998-99 while in 1997-98 the port handled 1.257 ships. The handling of ships at the port increased by 13.50 per cent in comparison with the last year.