Three terminals to be handed to foreign operators by December: Shipping Secretary

By December this year, three key terminals — the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Laldia Char Terminal in Chittagong Port, and the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Keraniganj, Dhaka — will be handed over to foreign operators, said Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Mohammad Yusuf.

He made the remarks while addressing a seminar titled “Investment Prospects in Ocean-going Ship Industry” organised by the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) at Purana Paltan in the capital on Sunday, 12 October.

The secretary said the handover of Pangaon Terminal might take a bit more time, while the transfer of NCT, originally planned for October, would also be slightly delayed.

Calling the move a strategic and geographical decision, Yusuf said, “Foreign operators managing port operations is not an issue. Many countries, including Sri Lanka and India, have adopted similar models successfully. So it should not be a problem for us.”

He pointed out that Chittagong Port currently has 13 gates, but only six scanning machines are operational — and three to four of them remain out of order most of the time. “The port cannot run effectively this way. To enhance efficiency and service quality, we are engaging foreign operators. This will also attract more foreign investment,” he said.

Addressing concerns about increased service costs, the secretary explained, “If service quality improves and cargo clearance becomes faster, ships will spend less idle time at the port, reducing demurrage costs. In that case, paying a little extra will not be a problem.”