The New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chattogram Port will remain under temporary local management for six months before being handed over to a foreign operator, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The Economic Affairs Advisory Council approved the interim arrangement at a meeting held in Dhaka. Speaking to the media, Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed confirmed the decision, which precedes a formal transfer of operations to a foreign entity.

Retired Brigadier General Sakhawat Hossain, Adviser to the Ministries of Shipping, Labour and Employment, said a final decision on long-term management would be taken at a Ministry of Shipping meeting later today.

According to ministry sources, the Bangladesh Navy will take over operations of the NCT from July 7, following the expiry of local operator Saif Powertec Limited’s 17-year contract on July 6. The Navy will be supported by the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), and the temporary arrangement will bypass an open tender process through direct procurement.

The NCT, comprising five jetties, is the country’s largest container terminal and a key hub for containerised cargo.

Though the CPA initially proposed taking over operations directly, it later withdrew the plan after a high-level meeting on Saturday, where the revised decision was made to involve the Navy.

A formal agreement with Dubai-based DP World, selected under the previous government, is expected by November. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is acting as the transaction adviser for the deal.