The government has instructed the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) to resume negotiations with Dubai-based DP World over the proposed long-term operation of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), Bangladesh’s busiest container-handling facility.
The directive revives a process that had progressed under the interim administration but remained incomplete due to time constraints.
More than three months after the new government assumed office, discussions on handing over NCT operations to DP World have gained momentum. The Ministry of Shipping formally directed the port authority to continue negotiations, reducing uncertainty surrounding the proposed agreement. Two separate letters from the ministry issued on 4 June conveyed different instructions – one called for either immediate completion or cancellation of the NCT leasing process, while the second instructed officials to continue talks.
Shipping Secretary Zakaria told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Negotiations with DP World are ongoing.” He explained that the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority’s input prompted the first letter, and a subsequent request for clarification led to the second letter instructing further engagement. “There has been no policy change. The negotiation process with DP World remains active,” he added.
Following the ministry’s instructions, the CPA proposed a seven-member evaluation committee to complete the negotiations, seeking ministerial approval even on a public holiday. The two letters have sparked renewed debate among port stakeholders, raising questions about the government’s stance after the leasing process was paused during the interim administration.
NCT is the largest of four container terminals at Chattogram Port, handling a significant share of the port’s container traffic and playing a key role in Bangladesh’s international trade. Currently, the terminal is managed by Chittagong Dry Dock Limited (CDDL), a Bangladesh Navy-owned enterprise.
The proposal to lease NCT to DP World was first introduced under a Public-Private Partnership and Government-to-Government framework during the previous Awami League administration but was not finalised before the government change. Negotiations advanced to the final stage during the interim government but were suspended on 9 February following committee objections, labour unrest, and growing opposition among port staff.
The leasing proposal resurfaced under the new government. At the fourth Bangladesh-Dubai Joint PPP Platform meeting on 8 April, DP World presented a revised plan to integrate the adjacent Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) with NCT and operate the two as a unified terminal complex.
With negotiations officially back on track, attention now focuses on whether Bangladesh’s most important container terminal will remain under domestic management or eventually be transferred to one of the world’s leading port operators.
