Why Chattogram, Bangladesh’s ‘Singapore-style’ port city sinking?

The government has ambitious plans for the Chattogram Port. Discussions are underway with Singapore’s PSA and Dubai’s DP World regarding the construction of the Bay Terminal, with the aim of making the port capable of operating along the lines of Singapore by 2029.

Chattogram – the heart of Bangladesh’s economy and a port city handling assessed import-export goods worth over Tk 11 lakh crore annually – has never secured a place on the list of global port cities.

Given its geographical location, and potential for a blue economy, it is only natural to ask why Chattogram has failed to carve out a place for itself on the global map.

Although the government refers to Chattogram as the “Singapore of Bangladesh,” the city frequently makes headlines due to waterlogging and the resulting in public suffering. Therefore, long-term planning and accountability must be ensured to resolve this structural crisis.

Reportedly, for the past seven to eight years, three agencies – the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA), the Chattogram City Corporation, and the Water Development Board – have been implementing four projects costing approximately Tk 14,389 crore to resolve the issue of waterlogging.

Although the responsibilities for urban drainage, waste management, road construction, and canal maintenance are divided among multiple agencies, coordination and mutual accountability among them remain weak.

Even if developed as a modern port, if the surrounding city remains plagued by waterlogging, traffic congestion, and unplanned urbanization, Chattogram’s overall acceptability as a port city among investors and international shipping lines will remain questionable.

It is crucial to view the port and the city not as isolated projects, but as integral parts of a unified development framework.

Therefore, it is necessary to bring the canal, drain, and water-body-related activities of the CDA, City Corporation, WASA, and the Water Development Board under a single urban water management authority.

This would eliminate any opportunity for these agencies to evade responsibility
Drawing lessons from the experiences of Singapore and Rotterdam, it is essential to formulate an integrated urban and port development strategy spanning at least 25-30 years, rather than relying on fragmented, project-based development.

This approach would ensure that development activities do not stall due to shifts in the political landscape.

In most cases, significant delays in project implementation stem from irregular fund disbursement and protracted land acquisition processes.

Although nature has provided Chittagong with the opportunity to become an ideal port city, realizing this potential requires good governance, institutional capacity, and policy continuity.

Unless urban management reforms are prioritized alongside investments in port infrastructure, Chittagong will remain “Bangladesh’s Singapore” in name only.