CHATTOGRAM — The process of handing over the operation of more terminals at Chattogram Port to foreign operators has begun, with the government directing the port authority to initiate the appointment of Saudi Arabia-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI) to operate the Chattogram Container Terminal (CCT).
The Ministry of Shipping issued the directive on Sept 28. The CCT is currently operated by local private company Saif Powertec Ltd, while the General Cargo Berth (GCB) is operated directly by the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA).
RSGTI has also expressed interest in operating the GCB alongside the CCT and has indicated that it could invest around $1 billion if given the opportunity.
According to a ministry letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Farzana Hossain, the CPA was instructed to process RSGTI’s appointment as the operator of the CCT. The letter said RSGTI had expressed interest in implementing the CCT and GCB and Bay Port Multipurpose Terminal projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) framework.
The ministry cited a letter issued by the PPP Authority on Aug 19, 2016, and instructed the authorities to take further action based on the proposal.
Dubai-based DP World submitted a proposal to operate the CCT on April 8, while RSGTI submitted its proposal on April 22. Local business group MGH Group also submitted a proposal.
The CCT handled around 16% of Chattogram Port’s total container traffic in 2025. The New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) handled about 44%, the GCB around 36%, and the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) about 4%.
Meanwhile, the government has given in-principle approval to a draft 15-year concession agreement to hand over the operation and maintenance of the NCT and its Overflow Container Yard (OCY) to an international terminal operator.
The Economic Affairs Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal at a meeting on Oct 1, based on a proposal from the Ministry of Shipping.
Under the PPP framework, the government plans to modernise, operate and maintain the NCT through Dubai-based DP World under a government-to-government arrangement. The project initially received in-principle approval from the Cabinet committee in March 2023.
The NCT currently handles around 1.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers annually, accounting for roughly 40% of Chattogram Port’s total container traffic.
Four terminals, four different operators
Chattogram Port currently has four major container-handling facilities: the NCT, CCT, GCB and PCT.
The NCT is operated by Chattogram Dry Dock Ltd, owned by the Bangladesh Navy. The CCT is operated by Saif Powertec, while the GCB is managed by the port authority itself.
The PCT is already operated by Saudi Arabia-based RSGTI under a 22-year agreement signed in 2024.
At a press conference at Chattogram Press Club on Saturday, the committee demanded that the government cancel the initiatives to lease out the NCT and CCT.
The committee said it would stage a daylong sit-in at the main gate of Chattogram Port on Oct 5 if the government failed to announce by then that the leasing initiatives would be scrapped. It also warned that further programmes would be announced from the sit-in if its demands were not met.
Fazlul Kabir Mintu, member-secretary of the Port Protection Committee, said decisions concerning the operation of major port infrastructure should not be treated as ordinary administrative or commercial matters.
He called for a transparent assessment comparing the potential revenue and efficiency of state-run operations with the financial benefits the country could receive from awarding long-term concessions to foreign operators.
The committee also called for public disclosure of assessments concerning capacity expansion, automation, technological modernisation, operational efficiency and the potential financial gains for the state.
The Chattogram Port Authority has declined to comment on the proposed leasing of the NCT or other terminals.
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