Mongla: A foreign ship carrying 470 reconditioned vehicles from Japan docked at Mongla Port on Monday noon. The ship, M.V. Viking Drive, bearing the flag of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, arrived at jetty no. 9 around 12 noon. The 164-metre-long and 7-metre-deep ship brought in a consignment of reconditioned cars of various models, including Toyota Axio, Allion, Corolla Cross, and Fielder, officials said.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Md Makruzzaman, Deputy Secretary (Public Relations) of the Mongla Port Authority (MPA), confirmed the arrival of the ship. He stated that the unloading of the cars is expected to be completed by this (Tuesday) evening, after which the ship will depart the port. ‘Crown Navigation Shipping Agent’ is the importer of the cars, and now around 60 percent of cars are imported through the Mongla Port.
Makruzzaman further mentioned that the import of luxury cars had been halted since August last year due to an economic crisis. However, he noted that the crisis has subsided, leading to an increase in car imports through Mongla Port as the MPA has enhanced facilities for car importers.
Sayed Zahid Hossain, President of Mongla Bandar (Port) Berth and Ship Operator Association, remarked that there was a dollar crisis from October last year to January this year. The declining price of the dollar since January 2025 has encouraged traders to resume car imports.