Two modern container jetties to be built at Mongla Port with Chinese funding

KHULNA, Sept 29: Two state-of-the-art container jetties equipped with modern machinery will be constructed at Mongla Port under a project funded by China to enhance the port's handling capacity.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the project titled 'Expansion and Development of Facilities at Mongla Port' on February 2, 2025, under the government-to-government (G2G) arrangement with China.

Mongla Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Arif Ahmed Mostafa disclosed the information at a meeting with journalists at the authority's auditorium in Khulna on Tuesday.

He said the project would create employment opportunities for shipping agents, clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents, stevedoring companies and port workers. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2028.

Under the project, two modern container jetties, each measuring 368 metres in length, will be constructed. 

The project also includes the construction of an 87,600-square-metre loaded container yard, a 34,170-square-metre empty container yard and a 4,260-square-metre hazardous cargo handling yard.

Upon completion, the port will be able to handle 15 million tonnes of cargo and 400,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers annually, the chairman said.

Regarding dredging activities, Arif Ahmed Mostafa said a five-year maintenance dredging programme involving 330.90 lakh cubic metres of dredging in different sections of the Pashur Channel was underway to maintain navigability.

As of June 2026, five lakh cubic metres of dredging had been completed under the project. 

Once completed, the project will enable the port to handle vessels with a draft of 9.5 metres up to its jetties. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2029.

He also said a separate project was under consideration to procure one trailing suction hopper dredger with a minimum capacity of 3,500 cubic metres and two 28-inch cutter suction dredgers, along with necessary equipment. 

A feasibility study on river training in the Pashur Channel and the procurement of two mooring boats are also planned.

On ongoing projects, the chairman said the procurement of support vessels for the port, under a revised project, was nearing completion. 

The project includes two tugboats, one buoy-laying vessel, one search and rescue vessel, one pilot mother vessel and one survey and research vessel.

The vessels will help ensure safe navigation, facilitate the efficient handling of seagoing ships and enable emergency rescue operations during adverse weather conditions. The project is scheduled to be completed in June 2027.

He also mentioned the second revised project for dredging the inner bar of the Pashur Channel, which aims to achieve a navigational depth of 7.5 metres at chart datum. 

The project envisages dredging 237.06 lakh cubic metres of material. Once completed, with proper maintenance dredging, the port will be able to accommodate vessels with drafts of 9.5 to 10 metres up to its jetties. However, the process of delisting the project is currently underway.

The chairman further said a project titled 'Upgradation of Mongla Port', funded under India's Line of Credit (LoC-III), was also being implemented. 

It includes the construction of two container terminals equipped with modern machinery, container handling yards, container delivery yards and other facilities.

Replying to a question, he said Mongla Port received 815 vessels during the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Against a cargo handling target of 9.15 million tonnes, the port handled 12.251 million tonnes, exceeding the target and recording an increase of 1.839 million tonnes, or 17.66 percent, compared to the previous fiscal year.

The port also handled 29,714 TEUs of containers against a target of 25,000 TEUs, registering an increase of 8,258 TEUs, or 38.49 percent, over the previous fiscal year.

The chairman said the port earned Tk 387.95 crore in revenue during the fiscal year, exceeding its target of Tk 347.87 crore. Revenue increased by Tk 40.83 crore, or 11.76 percent, compared to the previous fiscal year.

During the fiscal year, 12,075 reconditioned vehicles were imported through Mongla Port, 496 more than in the previous fiscal year, he added.

Member (Harbour and Marine) Commodore Md Shafiqul Islam Sarker, Member (Engineering and Development) (acting) Engineer Sheikh Shawkat Ali, Chief Security Officer Kalachand Singha, Director (Board) Commander SM Afzalul Islam, Harbour Master Captain Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, Deputy Director (Public Relations) Md Salah Uddin Kabir, among others, attended the meeting.