Bangladesh Freight and Logistics Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)
The Bangladesh Freight and Logistics Market is anticipated to register a CAGR of more than 6% over the forecast period.
Key HighlightsThe Indo-Bangla Protocol Route and the Gangetic Plains Fairways will be developed and maintained under a three-year contract by the Inland Water Authority of India (IWAI), which will significantly boost cargo flow by the river to Bangladesh and the Northeast. To dredge the Indo-Bangla Protocol Route and maintain a minimum water depth of 2.5 meters to allow barges loaded with freight to transit from Calcutta to Bangladesh and then to the Northeast, the authorities would flog a tender worth roughly INR 200 crore (USD 24177780). The inland waterways in the Gangetic Plains will be upgraded in the second phase.
An Italian shipping company will link Chittagong directly with Europe, giving Bangladesh's major export market for apparel a boost. Meanwhile, a Danish shipping company is constructing a 200,000-square-foot custom bonded warehouse in Chittagong in partnership with a local organization to ease system congestion and improve the flow of cargo into and out of Bangladesh.
While RifLine's sister company, Kalypso Compagnia di Navigazione SPA, Italy, later applied for permission from the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to operate the purpose-built vessels on the route, the move to introduce shipping service on the Chittagong-Italy route at the end of 2021 was initiated by Rome-based RifLine Worldwide Logistics, a freight forwarder from Italy and a client of many European buyers. As a result, the CPA gave two of its rented ships—Cape Flores and Songa Cheetah, each with a 1,200 TEU capacity—permission to operate for six months.
Increased e-commerce demand driving the logistics market in BangladeshIn June 2020, the government of Bangladesh removed the maximum permissible shareholding limit of 49% for foreign e-commerce enterprises, enabling 100% foreign-owned businesses to operate in Bangladesh. COVID-19's policies on social distancing increased demand for eCommerce solutions, leading many businesses with stores to join online sales platforms.
The expansion of online meal delivery services like HungryNaki and FoodPanda is proof that B2C websites have gained popularity in big cities. The demand for home delivery services has also increased as a result of severely congested highways and hazardous driving conditions. B2C initiatives may also be seen in Facebook-based shopping portals like Shoprbd and ShoptoBd, which let Bangladeshi consumers buy goods from popular international e-commerce destinations like the US, the United Kingdom, India, and China. C2C companies are expanding as well. The top competitors in this field are Bikroy, Ekhanei, and Clicked. The C2C market has lately undergone some consolidation as a result of the acquisitions of CellBazar by Telenor Group and playeOLX by Ekhanei.com.
The country's e-commerce industry had a difficult year in 2021 because, after experiencing significant growth in the first half of the year, the industry suffered a serious setback as a result of scams committed by several e-commerce businesses that destroyed the public's faith in the companies. In light of this, the e-commerce industry experienced a decline in the second half of 2021 after experiencing tremendous growth since the COVID-19 outbreak in the nation in March 2020. Because customers didn't trust the official banking channel, the amount of e-commerce that went through it dropped by a lot in the second half of the year.
Competitive LandscapeBangladesh's freight and logistics market is relatively fragmented, with more than 1,000 local and around 20 international logistics and freight forwarding companies operating in the country. The key players are Bolloré Logistics, DHL International GmbH, 3i Logistics Group, A.H. Khan & Co., Agility Logistics, and many more. International companies are mostly relying on open joint ventures with domestic companies to enter the market owing to factors such as the growing congestion on roads and at seaports, which are restricting the market along with the high logistics costs. The infrastructure is also limiting the local players' ability to expand their footprint and the international players' ability to enter the market directly.
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