Construction begins today

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 29: The foundation stone of the $550 million Laldia Container Terminal at Chattogram Port will be laid today, August 30, marking the official start of construction.  

The green-certified terminal is expected to become fully operational by 2030, Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) sources said.  With this, APM Terminals will be the second foreign company to join port operations in Bangladesh. Earlier, in June last year, Saudi Arabia-based port operator Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI) became involved in the operation of CPA Patenga Terminal. 

The Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chaowdhury is expected to attend the function as the chief guest while Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Bridges and Railways Sheikh Rabiul Alam will attend as the special guest.

The Terminal will increase further 8 lac TEUs of container annually.

Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Amirul Haque told the Daily Observer that the proposed investment would mark a significant milestone for Bangladesh’s maritime sector.  He said expanding port capacity was essential to attracting greater foreign investment.

APM Terminals of Denmark in partnership with the Chattogram Port Authority and local partner QNS Container Services Limited has been developing the terminal at the right bank of the Karnaphuli River. It will be designed to handle over 800,000 TEUs annually and accommodate vessels up to 6,000 TEUs.

The terminal will feature remotely operated cranes and other advanced technology aimed at improving operational efficiency, safety and environmental performance.

APM Terminals signed a concession agreement for the project in November 2025. Under the agreement, the company will finance, build, operate and maintain the terminal during a 30-year concession, with an option to extend.

The project will play an important role in creating employment, expanding trade and commerce and further strengthening the national economy.

Once completed, the facility will become Bangladesh’s first fully foreign-invested container terminal. 
The existing container handling capacity of the Chattogram Port with the four container terminals is 3.5 million TEUs annually. When Laldia Container Terminal opens in 2030, this capacity will increase by 0.8 million to a total of 4.3 million TEUs.

During construction, around 1,000 people will be employed, and once operational, the terminal will provide employment for 500 people.  In Bangladesh, 99 per cent of container transport takes place through Chattogram Port. Containers are handled using the port’s four terminals. All exports are transported in containers, and a significant portion of imports, from raw materials for industries to commercial goods, also arrives in containers.