CHATTOGRAM, June 10: Competition is intensifying among local and international port operators seeking to manage key container terminals at Chattogram Port, as the government revives plans to involve private-sector and foreign operators in terminal management.
According to port and shipping officials, at least ten operators from home and abroad have expressed interest in operating container terminals at the country’s premier seaport. The renewed interest comes amid ongoing efforts to modernise port operations and attract foreign investment under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
A major development occurred when the Saif-Cosmos-Everest Port Services Consortium formally submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Shipping on April 28 to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), the largest container terminal of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA). The consortium comprises Saif Powertec Ltd, Cosmos Enterprise, and Everest Port Services Ltd.
Another local conglomerate, MGH Group, submitted a separate proposal on the same day seeking to operate the terminal under a PPP model.
The government is also revisiting discussions with Dubai-based DP World, which has long sought a long-term concession agreement for NCT operations. At the same time, domestic operators are lobbying for greater participation in terminal management.
The local consortium has proposed a service-based operating model under which ownership, revenue collection and overall control would remain with the CPA. The consortium would be responsible for operations, maintenance, staffing and fuel management over a 15-year period.
The proposal has attracted attention because two consortium members are linked to sitting lawmakers. Cosmos Enterprise is owned by Lakshmipur-4 MP and Government Whip ABM Ashraf Uddin Nizan, while Everest Port Services Managing Director Shahadat Hossain Selim is the BNP lawmaker from Lakshmipur-1.
According to a study by Hamburg Port Consulting of Germany, NCT has an annual handling capacity of about 1.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). However, local operators currently handle approximately 1.33 million TEUs annually. NCT alone accounts for around 44 percent of all containers handled at Chattogram Port.
Since July 7, 2024, the terminal has been operated by Chattogram Dry Dock Limited (CDDL), a Bangladesh Navy enterprise. Under CDDL’s management, the terminal has achieved record performances. In May this year, it handled 126,000 TEUs, the highest monthly volume ever recorded at the facility.
Despite increasing domestic interest, officials say local proposals are not currently under active consideration. The NCT concession process, initiated during the previous Awami League government, advanced significantly with DP World before being suspended on February 9 amid labour unrest, political opposition and disagreements within the evaluation committee. A new committee has recently been formed to revive the process.
Competition is also growing for the Chattogram Container Terminal (CCT). DP World and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) submitted separate proposals in April to operate the facility, while MGH Group has also expressed interest. RSGT already operates the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) under a 22-year agreement signed in 2024.
Meanwhile, CPA is expanding port capacity through several major projects. Construction of the Bay Terminal’s Container Terminal-1 and Terminal-2 is being pursued with PPP partners PSA Singapore and DP World. The authority has also signed agreements for the MGH Terminal and the Laldia Container Terminal, the latter involving APM Terminals.
Officials believe these initiatives, supported by World Bank financing and private-sector investment, will significantly enhance Bangladesh’s maritime logistics capacity and strengthen the country’s position in regional trade.
