The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has signed two significant agreements aimed at boosting the country’s trade transport capacity.
On Wednesday, the CPA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) for the long-term lease and operation of Pangaon Inland Container Terminal (ICT) in Dhaka, and with Bangladesh Navy for the construction of a state-of-the-art heavy lift cargo jetty at Chittagong Port, according to a CPA press release.
The agreement with BIWTA allows CPA to operate Pangaon ICT along with 48.24 acres of adjacent land under a 10-year lease, effective from December 2025, with a total duration of 30 years. This move is expected to significantly enhance river-based transport, reduce road congestion, and improve the cost-efficiency of goods movement from Chittagong Port.
The MoU with the Navy focuses on building a 240-meter-long heavy lift cargo jetty at Chittagong Port, increasing the load-bearing capacity to 5 tons per square meter, a significant upgrade from the current 3 tons per square meter at NCT Berth No. 5.
The ceremonies were attended by Ministry of Shipping Advisor Brigadier General (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Ministry of Shipping Senior Secretary Mohammad Yusuf, Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Chairman Arif Ahmed Mustafa, and Bangladesh Navy Rear Admiral (Retd) Anwar Hossain, among other officials.
