Staff reporter :
Local berth operators have expressed interest in redeveloping and managing Chattogram port’s oldest terminal, the General Cargo Berth (GCB), under a long-term public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
On Monday, the Bangladesh Ship Handling and Berth Operators Association, together with the Terminal Operators Owners Association, formally submitted a proposal to the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA). The plan seeks to form a consortium of local and foreign investors to modernise and operate the GCB for 25 to 30 years.
Fazle Ekram Chowdhury, president of the Ship Handling and Berth Operators Association, handed over the proposal to CPA Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman at the port office, in the presence of operators currently running the GCB jetties.
According to a preliminary feasibility study by consultancy firm BDRS Ltd, the GCB is the port’s most outdated and vulnerable terminal. Six of its jetties were originally built in 1954, while the remaining were reconstructed in 1979.
All 12 jetties have now surpassed their economic lifespan and require phased reconstruction along with modern equipment to ensure efficient cargo handling.
The study estimated that an investment of around $627 million (Tk7,650 crore) would be necessary to fully modernise the facility.
At present, the GCB’s 12 jetties are managed by 12 private operators under tender-based contracts introduced in 2010, following a pilot initiative in 2007. Of these, six jetties handle containers while the rest deal with general cargo operations.
“The berth operators already have long-standing experience in running GCB jetties,” said Fazle Ekram Chowdhury. “Based on this expertise, we are ready to undertake the terminal’s modernisation through a PPP initiative.
With combined domestic and foreign investment, we can significantly boost the port’s handling capacity and align its services with global standards.”
He further stressed that the proposed investment would safeguard existing jobs, generate new employment opportunities, and ensure that economic gains remain within Bangladesh, contributing directly to national growth.
Industry insiders note that the proposal comes at a time when Chattogram port, which handles over 90 percent of the country’s external trade, is under increasing pressure to expand capacity and upgrade infrastructure to meet the demands of growing international trade.
