adesh ' s ▁export - import ▁trade , ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁by ▁India , ▁Nep al ▁and ▁Bh ut an ▁for ▁trans ship ment . ▁ ▁Cong estion ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁challenge ▁in ▁Ch itt ag ong ▁port . ▁The ▁port ▁had ▁a ▁con g estion ▁rate ▁of ▁ 8 4 . 3 ▁hours ▁between ▁January ▁and ▁July ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁Ch itt ag ong ▁area ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁recorded ▁se ap ort ▁since ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁B CE . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁century , ▁the ▁har bor ▁appeared ▁on ▁P to le my ' s ▁map , ▁drawn ▁by ▁the ▁Gre co - R oman ▁cart ograph er ▁Claud ius ▁P to le my . ▁The ▁map ▁mentions ▁the ▁har bor ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fin est ▁in ▁the ▁Eastern ▁world . ▁The ▁Per i plus ▁of ▁the ▁E ry th ra e an ▁Sea ▁documents ▁trade ▁between ▁Ch itt ag ong ▁and ▁private ▁mer ch ants ▁from ▁Roman ▁Egypt . ▁ ▁Arab ▁trad ers ▁frequ ented ▁Ch itt ag ong ▁since ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century . ▁In ▁ 1 1 5 4 , ▁Al - Id ris i ▁noted ▁that ▁mer ch ants ▁from ▁Bag hd ad ▁and ▁Bas ra ▁regularly ▁travel led ▁to ▁Ch itt ag ong . ▁Arab ▁trad ers ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁spread ing ▁Islam ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁The ▁port ▁appears ▁in ▁the ▁travel og ues ▁of ▁Chinese ▁expl or ers