After Two Terminals, Push Begins to Appoint a Foreign Operator for NCT

Amid various discussions and criticisms, agreements were signed on Monday (17 November) with foreign companies regarding two terminals of Chattogram Port. One of these deals concerns the construction and operation of the Laldia Terminal on the bank of the Karnaphuli River in Patenga, Chattogram, and the other concerns the operation of the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Keraniganj near Dhaka. The two agreements were signed at two separate events held that day at a hotel in Dhaka. Although the signing took place publicly, the detailed terms of the agreements and which information cannot be disclosed have not been formally communicated.

However, the Adviser on Shipping has said that the various conditions of the agreements will be disclosed later. Meanwhile, several groups have already staged protest rallies, torchlight processions, and issued statements opposing the agreements. But the port authorities say that the port is not being handed over to foreigners; operators are being appointed only for management.

In the meantime, the government is moving forward with the process of handing over Chattogram Port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to a foreign company. Work is progressing to sign an agreement with the UAE-based company DP World in December. As part of this process, on 16 November the port authority proposed forming a seven-member committee to evaluate the bids for the project. Port Secretary Omar Faruk sent a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping seeking approval for the committee. The proposed committee has named Additional Secretary Mahbub Alam Talukder, a member of the port board, as its convener.

The Port Protection Council has been holding torchlight processions and road blockades for several days demanding that the facilities of Chattogram Port—including the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and the Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT)—not be given to foreign companies. On Tuesday evening, they conducted this program on the Port Connecting Road in the Boropol area of the city. During that time, traffic movement was temporarily disrupted.

Meanwhile, on Monday (17 November), two agreements were signed: one regarding the construction and operation of the Laldia Terminal on the bank of the Karnaphuli River in Patenga, Chattogram, and the other regarding the operation of the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Keraniganj near Dhaka. In the agreement concerning the Laldia Container Terminal, signatures were made by Martijn van Dongen, Vice President of Denmark-based APM Terminals, and Rear Admiral S. M. Moniruzzaman, Chairman of Chattogram Port Authority. The agreement regarding the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal was signed by Rear Admiral S. M. Moniruzzaman, Chairman of Chattogram Port Authority, and ATM Anisul Millat, Managing Director (MD) of Medlog Bangladesh. The Adviser on Shipping was also present there.

According to the agreement, Denmark’s A.P. Moller–Maersk Group’s subsidiary APM Terminals has been awarded the responsibility to construct and operate the Laldia Container Terminal of Chattogram Port for 30 years. Under the public-private partnership (PPP) framework, the company will invest 550 million USD (around 6,700 crore taka) to build the terminal. Immediately after signing the agreement, Bangladesh received 250 crore taka as “signing money.”

On the other hand, Switzerland-based Medlog SA has been given the responsibility to operate the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Keraniganj, Dhaka, for 22 years. Medlog will invest a total of 40 million USD (around 490 crore taka) in this terminal. As signing money, they have given 18 crore taka to Bangladesh.

During the event, it was announced that the Laldia Terminal will have the capacity to handle 800,000–1,000,000 TEUs per year. Out of this, the government will receive 21 USD (about 2,500 taka) for each unit up to 800,000 containers. If more than 800,000 containers are handled, the government will receive 23 USD per unit. Meanwhile, Medlog stated that the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal will handle 160,000 TEUs per year. From each unit, the government will receive 250 taka.