CHATTOGRAM, Apr 11: The appointment of contractors for the construction of Matarbari Deep-Sea Port is set for April 22, when a contract signing ceremony will be held between the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) and Penta-Ocean Construction Co Ltd, a Japanese company that has been awarded 65 per cent of the civil works contract, according to CPA sources.
Penta-Ocean Construction Co Ltd has secured the majority share of the contract for civil works in the Matarbari Port Development Project.
Other contractors involved in the project include TOA Corporation, another Japanese company that has been awarded 35 per cent of the civil works contract; Mitsui E&S Co., Ltd., which has signed a contract with the CPA; and Tec International Consortium, a Japanese consortium that has also entered into an agreement with the CPA.
The Matarbari Port Development Project, situated in Cox's Bazar District, aims to significantly enhance Bangladesh's maritime infrastructure by constructing a deep-sea port, developing access roads, building bridges, implementing new road components, and improving soil conditions. Jointly funded by the Government of Bangladesh and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project is designed to increase the country's cargo-handling capacity, ease congestion at Chattogram Port, support future international trade demands, offer efficient port services to neighbouring countries, and contribute to national economic growth.
The project consists of two primary components: the construction of a new port under Chattogram Port and the development of a new port access road spanning Chakaria and Moheskhali Upazilas in Cox's Bazar. To finance the road development, the Government of Bangladesh has secured a JICA loan specifically for the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) component. This funding will cover contracts for the construction of the Matarbari Port Access Road (West Section) and the North-South Connector Road under Civil Works Package No. CW-3a, the Central Section of the access road under Civil Works Package No. CW-3b, and the Eastern Section under Civil Works Package No. CW-3c.
The infrastructure includes a 26-kilometre-long port access road featuring 14 bridges, as well as a 1.2-kilometre four-lane North-South Connector Road. Additional construction efforts will see the development of a 10.5-kilometre two-lane access road with four bridges and a four-lane North-South Connector Road, a 6.4-kilometre two-lane road with four bridges, and a 9.1-kilometre two-lane road incorporating six bridges.
According to RHD sources, the contracts have been awarded to a mix of international and local firms, including nine Japanese, two Chinese, and three Bangladeshi companies.
The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has earmarked Tk 9,000 crore for its portion of the Matarbari Deep-Sea Port project, with an additional Tk 9,000 crore set aside for the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) component. This new deep-sea port will accommodate mother vessels with a draft of up to 16 metres, significantly surpassing Chattogram Port's current capacity of nine metres. While CPA jetties currently handle container vessels carrying up to 2,000 TEUs, the new facility will be equipped to berth ships with a capacity of 8,000 TEUs.
Sources indicate that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has committed approximately 500 million US dollars in funding for the project. The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by 2026, followed by the initiation of the second phase. Meanwhile, the construction of a 14.3-kilometre-long, 250-metre-wide, and 18.5-metre-deep navigation channel has been finalised, with ongoing efforts to widen it by an additional 100 metres. Once completed, the channel will allow vessels carrying up to 80,000 tonnes to navigate seamlessly, resembling the Kashima Port in Japan, according to Toshiba Corporation, one of the project contractors.
The first phase of the Matarbari Deep-Sea Port is expected to be completed by mid-2026 and will feature a multipurpose terminal alongside a container terminal. When contacted, CPA Secretary Muhammad Omar Faruk confirmed to The Daily Observer that the contract signing between CPA and Penta-Ocean is scheduled for 22 April.
