Uncertainty continues to loom over the future management of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), the country’s largest container-handling facility, as the proposed contract with Dubai-based global operator DP World remains entangled in a High Court writ.
With the current interim operating arrangement set to expire on January 7, critical questions have emerged over who will run the terminal next—whether the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) will assume direct control or extend its contract with the Navy-run Chattogram Dry Dock Limited (CDDL).
The legal impasse stems from a writ petition challenging the legality of handing over NCT operations to a foreign company. On December 4, a High Court double bench delivered a divided verdict on the rule issued earlier in the case. Following the split decision, a new bench was formed on December 17, and the writ was heard on December 18 by a single bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed. According to High Court sources, the matter will be taken up again for hearing after the court reopens following the judges’ vacation.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for the CPA. The authority’s existing contract with CDDL—currently operating NCT on an interim basis—expires on January 7. Given the ongoing court proceedings, there is virtually no possibility of finalising any agreement with DP World before that deadline. This has created uncertainty over the continuity of NCT operations, which handle nearly half of the container traffic at Chattogram Port.
The immediate question facing policymakers is whether the CPA will manage NCT under its own supervision in the interim or extend the contract with CDDL until the legal issues are resolved. So far, no formal decision has been communicated to CDDL. Attempts to contact CPA Secretary Md Omar Farooq for comment were unsuccessful.
Speaking to The Times of Bangladesh, Md Firoz Ahmed, joint secretary of the Ports Division under the Ministry of Shipping, said the scope for decision-making remains limited until the court delivers a final verdict.
“If there is no directive from the court by January 7, we will have to prepare for the interim period and take a decision accordingly,” he said.
“After the expiry of the contract with CDDL, it may be necessary for the Chattogram Port Authority to run the terminal under its own management. Discussions are ongoing, and a collective decision will be taken on how NCT will operate.”
The CPA had earlier planned to sign a 22-year concession agreement with DP World by December 15 as part of a broader initiative to enhance efficiency and attract foreign expertise to the port. However, the plan faced legal challenges when Mirza Walid Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Young Economists Forum, filed a writ petition questioning the legality of transferring the management of such a strategic national asset to a foreign operator. The High Court issued a rule on July 30 following an initial hearing of the writ.
On December 4, the bench hearing the case delivered a split verdict. Senior judge Justice Fatema Najeeb declared the contract process illegal, while junior judge Justice Fatema Anwar ruled in favour of its legality. Due to this division, the matter was referred for resolution by another bench.
Barrister Anwar Hossain, counsel for the writ petitioner, told The Times of Bangladesh that after the divided verdict, the Chief Justice constituted a new bench to settle the issue conclusively.
“The writ was heard by Justice Zafar Ahmed’s bench on December 18,” he said.
“When the High Court reopens after January 4, the matter will be discussed again. Until a verdict is delivered, there is no scope for signing a contract with any foreign operator to run NCT.”
Operationally, NCT has undergone a significant transition over the past six months. Since 2007, the terminal had been operated by domestic firm Saif Powertech under the Direct Procurement Method (DPM). After the expiration of Saif Powertech’s contract on July 7 last year, the CPA handed over interim responsibility to CDDL, which is operated by the Bangladesh Navy.
Despite the change in management, the workforce has remained largely intact. Around 3,000 officers, workers and employees of Saif Powertech continue to work at NCT, while an additional 250 personnel from CDDL have joined the operations. According to port officials, the shift in management has resulted in notable performance improvements across key operational indicators.
CPA data show that when CDDL assumed control on July 7, as many as 18 container vessels were waiting at the outer anchorage, with some ships facing delays of five to seven days. Such delays can cost shipping lines up to $15,000 per day per vessel, depending on size. By December 18, the number of waiting ships had dropped to just one, and for more than half of the month, the anchorage queue had fallen to zero. Currently, vessels are receiving berths on arrival.
Port and CDDL officials attribute the improvements to better management planning, anti-corruption measures and operational reforms. Ship turnaround time at NCT has already been reduced from 61 hours to 57 hours, with plans to bring it down further to 48 hours. Crane productivity has increased, and dwell time has been reduced significantly.
The New Mooring Container Terminal spans 1,000 metres and comprises five jetties—four for ocean-going vessels and one serving the Chattogram–Pangaon inland route. Chattogram Port handles more than 3.2 million containers annually, of which about 44 per cent are processed at NCT alone.
