Chattogram Bureau :
Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) is getting about 500 acres of khas land for the Patenga Bay Terminal project in the city. Chattogram district administration will procure this land. Earlier in 2017, the district administration acquired 67 acres of privately owned land and gave it to the port. If the new allocation is received, the total land will be 568 acres. However, the project requires another 302 acres of land. Three letters sent by the Chittagong district administration were received by the Port Authority on Thursday (May 2). It has been said that to get about 500 acres of private land, a sale price of 3 crore taka has to be paid.
Deputy Commissioner Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman said that the settlement document will be signed with the district administration on behalf of the Ministry of Lands after the port authorities deposit the fixed amount.Chittagong Port Authority Secretary Omar Farooq said that money will be deposited for land settlement. Besides, the process is going on to get about 300 acres of land allotment. Chairman of CPA Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail said in an exchange meeting with the journalists that the largest bay terminal project of Chittagong port can receive direct foreign investment (FDI) of 800 million dollars. The Bay Terminal project consists of two container terminals, a multipurpose terminal and anoil and gas terminal to be implemented through foreign direct investment.
A bay terminal is proposed to be built on about 6 km of land from Chittagong Export Processing Zone to Rasmanighat on the Bay of Bengal. The multi-purpose terminal will be developed in a joint venture between CPA and Abu Dhabi Ports Group. Abu Dhabi Ports Group has offered to invest one billion dollars to build a multipurpose terminal and the port authority has accepted the proposal, port sources added.
The government has reached an agreement with Singapore’s PSA and UAE’s DP World to build and operate two container terminals at Bay Terminal on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. PSA Singapore and DP World have each offered to invest 150 million dollars, said CPA chairman.