CHATTOGRAM Sept 24: The Interim Government has been reconsidering to stop the handing over of the operational functions of Chattogram Port to foreign operators. The past government decided to hand over all operational activities of Chattogram Port to the private and foreign operators without floating tenders.
It is alleged that a vested quarter of the past Awami League regime had tried to hand over all the terminal operations to foreign operators without tenders.
The Interim government has decided to appoint local operator for terminals through tendering method.
Meanwhile, the CPA management had taken steps to transform the Chattogram Port into a Landlord Port, by handing over the operational activities of the most important Container teminals of the Port under the directives of the past government.
The Shipping Ministry had also constituted a committee in this connection.
As per directives, the CPA had appointed Saudi Arabia's company Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) for operation of the newly built Patenga Container Terminal (PCT). For the first time, Bangladesh went to foreign operator for operational activities of maritime ports of the country with PCT by the RSGT. The CPA inked a concession agreement with the Saudi Arabia's company Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) to operate the newly built Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) on PPP-G2G basis for next 22 years in December last year.
Earlier in the beginning of the last year, Bangladesh government had taken a decision for bringing the country's prime sea port to International standard more competitive in operational functions with both foreign and local operators.
In the decision making meeting held earlier, the government had decided to appoint foreign operators for Patenga Container Terminal (PCT), New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and two terminals of four terminals of Bay Terminal. The government had further decided to appoint foreign operators for CPA terminals under Public Private Partnership (PPP) system.
The Bangladesh government has taken a decision to appoint foreign operators for New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT). The CCEA approved the appointment of an international standard private operator for the operation and maintenance of the NCT and Overflow Container Yard in line with the Procurement Guidelines for PPP Project, 2018.
The then Government also agreed with the Dubai-based global terminal operator DP World. Following that, the government was in talks with DP World on the operation of the NCT. The government also signed an accord with PSA (Port of Singapore Authority) for operation of Bay terminal.
Besides, Denmark's APM Terminals has proposed to build the Laldia Container Terminal as a public-private partnership project. APM Terminals, Maersk's port operating company, wants to set up an environment-friendly and automated terminal that will significantly raise the box handling capacity of Bangladesh's prime seaport.
Besides, operations of 13 General Cargo Berths (GCB) built more than 50 years back have been divided into 12 Berths for privatisation of the operational activities. According to the decision of the CPA, 12 Berth Operators have now been conducting the operations of the 12 berths of the Chattogram Port under a new single-point operation system.
Besides, the Chattogram Port handled a total of 31,68,690 TEUs during the financial year of 2023-24, marking a 5.36 per cent growth by 1,61,346 TEUs more than the previous FY of 2022-23. During the same period, cargo handling increased by 18.1 per cent while ship handling dropped, according to latest data.
In FY2022-23, container handling at the port was 30,07,344 TEUs.
Cargo handling increased to 12,32,42,748 tonnes in FY24 at Chattogram Port, which was 11,82,97,643 tonnes in FY23. That means cargo handling by the port increased by 49,45,105 tonnes in one year, which is a 4.18 per cent growth.
On the other hand, the arrival of ships at the port has dropped. In FY24, 3,971 ships arrived with cargo and container. It was 4,253 in FY23, which means ship handling fell by 282 in a year.
