Foreign firms to operate 3 Ctg port terminals

Staff Reporter:

The government is set to ink landmark agreements this December with foreign companies to operate three key terminals of the Chattogram Port — the Laldia Container Terminal, New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), and Pangaon Inland Container Terminal — for 25 to 30 years.

According to Shipping Ministry Senior Secretary Mohammad Yusuf, the Laldia Terminal will be operated by a foreign firm for 30 years, while the NCT and Pangaon facilities will be leased out for 25 years each.

He made the announcement on Saturday (12 October) while addressing a seminar titled “Investment Potential in Ocean-Going Shipping Industry”, organised by the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) in Dhaka.

Yusuf said an international consultancy firm was appointed in 2020 to evaluate operational strategies for the Chattogram Port. “We received the consultant’s report six months ago. Based on its recommendations, the government has already revised the port tariff upward,” he added.

The seminar, chaired by ERF President Daulat Akhtar Mala, was also attended by Bangladesh Ocean-Going Ship Owners’ Association President Azam J Chowdhury and Bangladesh Policy Research Institute Chairman Dr Zaidi Sattar.

The recent tariff hike at Chattogram Port, the first dollar-denominated revision since 1986, follows recommendations from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) — the World Bank Group’s private sector arm — which acted as the government’s transaction adviser for the Laldia and Patenga container terminal projects.

The IFC designed the concession model to attract both local and foreign investors to manage port operations.

Among the potential beneficiaries are both new and existing foreign players. Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI) already operates the Patenga Container Terminal, while UAE-based DP World is expected to take charge of the NCT, which handles nearly 40 percent of Chattogram’s total cargo. Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk is reportedly eyeing the Laldia concession, which the IFC helped structure.

An analysis of the revised tariff schedule reveals that while both the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) and private operators will benefit, the sharpest increases are concentrated in areas that generate direct income for private terminal operators — such as container handling, loading, unloading, storage, and reefer services.

These rates have risen by an average of 144 percent, compared to around 70percent for CPA-related fees like pilotage and navigation.

For instance, the fee for plugging in a 20-foot reefer container has jumped from $9 to $20.96, entirely benefiting private operators. Meanwhile, the CPA’s pilotage fee for a 10,000-ton vessel rose from $357.50 to $800.

Given that container handling and storage make up most port operations, experts say the new tariff structure will significantly boost revenues for international operators, even after accounting for royalties to the CPA.

The upcoming deals mark a major step in Bangladesh’s efforts to modernise its port infrastructure and attract foreign investment, with policymakers projecting that private participation will enhance efficiency and global competitiveness in maritime trade.