Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain has underscored the importance of involving foreign management and investment to transform Chattogram Port into a facility that meets global standards.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the newly established Laldia Char Container Yard in Patenga on Sunday morning, Sakhawat said that foreign expertise, advanced technology, and financial collaboration are vital to elevating the port’s operations. He emphasized that attracting four to five billion dollars in investment could bring about a major upgrade in the port’s infrastructure and efficiency.
The Adviser noted that many developed nations have already privatized or partially outsourced the management of their ports, and Bangladesh could consider similar measures to boost competitiveness in the international maritime arena. He asserted that no one would be allowed to operate the port in a way that harms the country’s interests.
Highlighting the new facility’s benefits, Dr Sakhawat said the Laldia Char Terminal will increase the port’s container storage capacity from 56,000 TEUs to 66,000 TEUs, adding space for another 10,000 containers.
The Adviser reaffirmed that all development efforts would prioritize the country’s interests. He said that every policy decision regarding the port will be made with the aim of ensuring national benefit and supporting business growth. “The primary goal is to create opportunities for businessmen and promote economic growth,” he added.
He also stressed the urgency of expanding Chattogram Port’s capacity to meet the growing demands of Bangladesh’s export-import trade. The interim government, he said, is actively working to utilize the previously unused terminal area at Laldia Char and address the city’s chronic truck terminal shortage, which has long contributed to traffic congestion.
During the event, it was disclosed that the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) is developing a 32-acre new container terminal, of which 14 acres have already been completed. The terminal will accommodate around 10,000 single containers and 1,500 trucks, while an 8-acre heavy cargo jetty and a 10-acre APM terminal area are also under development.
Addressing concerns over the recent tariff revision, Sakhawat said the adjustment, implemented for the first time in 37 years, is necessary for the port’s sustainability.
“The tariff was set in 1984 and needs to be updated now. Currently, traders are earning Tk 1,000 while the port is receiving Tk 500. The operating costs of the port have increased across the board,” he said, adding that updating the charges is crucial to maintaining service quality.
He further pointed out the need for tariff reform, citing that “the Chinese port operates automatically without human labor.”
He also noted that automation, as seen in ports like those in China, should be the future goal for Chattogram Port. Although a court order has temporarily halted the new tariff rates for a month, Dr Sakhawat reaffirmed the government’s stance that such reforms are inevitable for modernization.
Later, the Adviser inaugurated the Taltala Container Yard near East Colony in the Bay Terminal area, where he also inspected the XY Shed and Customs Auction Shed.
Meanwhile, a scheduled meeting on port tariffs and charges expected to include Port Chairman Rear Admiral M Moniruzzaman and senior officials from the Ministry of Shipping has been postponed.
