Matarbari, the next regional trade hub

The Matarbari deep sea port can become the biggest hub of South Asia in regional trade. Fourteen kilometres artificial channel has been excavated before the construction of the port. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction work of the deep sea port. New hope is spreading around deep sea ports. The port is expected to generate three billion dollars in annual revenue. The experts think that it will contribute 2 to 3 percent to the annual national income.

According to Chittagong port sources, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has given no objection to the tender financial proposal on October 23. Negotiations will now be started with the contractor on the various terms of the contract. From November 19 to November 23, the Chittagong Port Authority will complete the formalities of the contract with the Japanese contractor.

India, China and Japan show interest in constructing Matarbari deep sea port. But instead of India and China, Bangladesh is giving the responsibility of building the port to Japan. This is being considered as a diplomatic success of the government.

A budget of Tk 17,777 crore has been allocated for the establishment of the Deep Sea Port. Once the Matrabari Terminal becomes operational, commercial vessels with a draft of 16 metres or more will be able to dock at the port jetty.

The following works have already been completed:
Before the construction of the main port of Matarbari, its channel excavation and embankment work was completed. Initially it was planned to dig the channel to discharge the coal of Matarbari power station. But later the feasibility survey for building a deep sea port here revealed huge potential. One thousand 31 acres of land has been acquired for the construction of the port.

The construction of 14.30 km long approach channel with 350 meters wide and 16 meters deep for the construction of deep sea port has already been completed. Apart from this, the construction of two thousand 150 metres long breakwater on the northern side of the approach channel and 670 metres long on the southern side of the breakwater (wave protection dam) has been completed. At present, construction of 460 metre long container jetty and 300 metre long multipurpose jetty and construction of port facilities including container yard are in progress.

The following tasks are yet to be completed:
The entire project of Matarbari port is divided into three parts. Its package-1 includes infrastructure and port construction works. The contractor's bid has been finalised. Under the project, 460 metres long container jetty and 300 metres long multipurpose jetty will be constructed and all infrastructure including container yard will be constructed. Package-II will procure cargo handling as well as safety components. JICA has given no objection to the bid proposal for package 1 and 2. A meeting is scheduled with the contractor to finalize the contract from November 19 to November 23. Package-2B (Tug Boats, Survey Boats, Pullot Boats & VTMIS) will be procured. Tenders for Package 2B are now being evaluated. The Tender Scrutiny Committee formed by the Ministry of Shipping held its first meeting on November 1.

Annual cargo handling capacity
After the next two years, by 2026, it will be possible to handle an estimated 6.6 to 1.1 million TEUs (twenty foot containers) and by 2041 an estimated 2.2 to 2.6 million TEUs of container cargo. The project includes the construction of a 27.7-kilometer road to establish a National Highway connection with the Matrabari port. There are plans to connect the port with a rail line in the future.

Matrabari is set to become the deepest port in South Asia
While the outer channel draft of Visakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh, India is 17 metres, the draft of the inner channel is 12.5 metres. Visakhapatnam has the deepest depth among Indian ports. On the other hand, the draft of Sri Lanka's Colombo port, one of the largest ports in South Asia, is 15 metres. Accordingly, there is a draft of 16 metres in Matarbari. That is, bigger ships can anchor here than Visakhapatnam and Colombo ports. Meanwhile, the draft of Singapore, the trade hub of Asia, is 18 metres. It is said that after this South Asian countries will be able to use Matarbari instead of Singapore port. This will save both cost and time of container handling. Now it is to be seen how Bangladesh can create the opportunity to use the port for its neighbors.

Why is Matarbari different from the other three ports of Bangladesh?
Chittagong, the country's largest port, can accommodate ships with a draft of 10 meters. Ships of six to eight meters draft can be accommodated in Mongla. The situation at Payra port is very similar. Due to silt flowing through the channel of Mongla and Payra ports, these two ports are not functioning. The distance from Payra port to deep sea port is at least 50 km. This channel has to be kept active by dredging most of the year. However, there are no concerns about sedimentation in the Matrabari Channel, ensuring its suitability for artificial deep-sea port development.