Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) will take over the operation of the New Mooring Container Terminal for six months or until a new operator is appointed. This decision, approved by the advisory council on economic affairs, follows the upcoming expiry (on July 6) of the current contract with private operator Saif Powertec Ltd, which has managed the terminal since 2015.
The Ministry of Shipping, which proposed the arrangement, estimates that around Tk 51 crore will be needed to run the terminal during this interim period. The terminal is the largest in Bangladesh, featuring five jetties and capable of accommodating four seagoing vessels and one inland waterway vessel simultaneously.
While the interim government has initiated discussions with UAE-based DP World as a potential long-term operator, the move has faced political opposition. Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, adviser to the shipping ministry, stated that the CPA will ultimately decide the terminal’s future operator, with a follow-up meeting scheduled at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
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