Following the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), the process of handing over the operational responsibilities of the Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT), General Cargo Berth (GCB) and Bay Port Multipurpose Terminal to foreign operators has begun.
The Ministry of Shipping has directed the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to initiate the process of appointing Saudi Arabia-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI) to operate the CCT. The directive was issued on September 28.
The CCT is currently operated by local private firm Saif Powertec Limited, while the GCB is managed by the Chittagong Port Authority.
Meanwhile, the Port Protection Committee has demanded cancellation of the proposed 15-year concession agreement with a foreign operator for the NCT and its overflow container yard. The committee has also called for an end to plans to hand over the NCT and CCT to foreign operators.
The committee announced that it would stage a daylong sit-in at the main gate of Chittagong Port on Monday if its demands are not met.
The demands were announced at a press conference at the Chittagong Press Club auditorium on Saturday.
Committee representatives said that if the government does not clearly announce by October 5 that the initiatives to hand over the NCT and CCT will be cancelled, they will announce further programmes as part of a broader movement.
Process to appoint RSGTI for CCT
A letter signed by Farzana Hossain, senior assistant secretary of the Ministry of Shipping, on September 28 said the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), the advisory body, had been requested to process the appointment letter for RSGTI as the operator of the CCT.
The letter said RSGTI had expressed interest in implementing the Chittagong Port Authority’s CCT and GCB and Bay Port Multipurpose Terminal projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
It also referred to a letter issued by the PPP Authority on August 19, 2016, and directed that further action be taken after considering the matter.
Dubai-based terminal operator DP World and RSGTI separately submitted proposals on April 8 and April 22 to operate the CCT. Local conglomerate MGH Group also submitted a proposal.
RSGTI has also expressed interest in operating the GCB alongside the CCT. The company said it plans to invest around $1 billion if selected.
CCT handles 16% of port containers
In 2025, around 16% of Chittagong Port’s total container traffic was handled through the CCT. The NCT handled around 44%, the GCB 36% and the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) 4%.
The government has also granted in-principle approval to a draft agreement to hand over the operation and maintenance of the NCT and its Overflow Container Yard (OCY) to an international terminal operator for 15 years.
The approval was given at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on October 1 based on a proposal from the Ministry of Shipping.
The project, titled “Operation and Maintenance of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Overflow Yard (OCY) of the Chittagong Port Authority”, is being implemented under a PPP framework.
Plan to hand over NCT to DP World
According to data from the PPP Authority, the Chittagong Port Authority plans to entrust the modernisation, operation and maintenance of the NCT to Dubai-based DP World under a government-to-government agreement.
The project received initial in-principle approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on March 23, 2023.
The NCT is currently operated by Chittagong Dry Dock Company Limited, which is owned by the Bangladesh Navy. The terminal handles around 1.3 million TEUs annually, accounting for about 40% of Chittagong Port’s total container traffic.
Four terminals, four operators
Four container terminals are currently operational at Chittagong Port: the NCT, CCT, GCB and PCT.
The NCT is operated by Navy-owned Chittagong Dry Dock Company Limited, while the CCT is operated by Saif Powertec. The GCB is managed by the port authority.
The PCT is operated by Saudi Arabia-based RSGTI, which began operating the terminal under a 22-year agreement in 2024.
‘Not a routine administrative or commercial decision’
Fazlul Kabir Mintu, member secretary of the Port Protection Committee, told Bangla Tribune that Chittagong Port was nationally vital infrastructure directly linked to the country’s foreign trade, imports and exports, revenue generation, commerce and industry.
“I have learned that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, during its meeting on October 1, granted in-principle approval to the draft of a 15-year concession agreement with an international operator for the operation and maintenance of the NCT and the overflow yard,” he said.
He said handing over the NCT under a 15-year concession was not merely a routine administrative or commercial decision.
“Before finalising such a move, a comprehensive and transparent comparative assessment needs to be made public, covering projected revenue under state management, capacity enhancement, adoption of modern technology and automation, and skill development, alongside the potential financial benefits to the state if the concession is granted,” he added.
Port authority declines to comment
When contacted, Syed Refayet Hamim, secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority, declined to comment on the proposed handover of the NCT or any other terminal.
