The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is gearing up to launch an open tender to appoint a temporary operator for the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), the CPA Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman announced yesterday.

This move aims to ensure a participatory, competitive, and non-discriminatory selection process until a foreign operator assumes long-term operational control.

At his first press conference since taking office on August 10, Rear Admiral Moniruzzaman revealed that the CPA had proposed amendments to certain clauses in a 2018 government directive. These amendments would remove limitations that previously constrained bidding, fostering broader participation among eligible vendors.

The current operator, Saif Powertec Ltd, was appointed through a direct procurement method, which restricted bids to specific requirements. Its contract is set to expire in early January 2024. Meanwhile, preparations are underway for Dubai-based multinational logistics company DP World to take over operations at the NCT under a government-to-government agreement as part of a public-private partnership.

However, Rear Admiral Moniruzzaman added that the process involving DP World is expected to take about a year, as terms and conditions are still being formalized by an appointed international transaction adviser.

The NCT, comprising five container jetties, handles over 60% of the containers processed at Chattogram Port, responsible for nearly 90% of Bangladesh’s $125 billion annual trade. In 2022, the port managed 31.4 lakh TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers, cementing its position globally as the 67th busiest container port.

Other facilities at the port include the Chittagong Container Terminal, Patenga Container Terminal, and General Cargo Berth. Expansion projects, including the Laldia Multipurpose Terminal and Bay Terminal, are underway to boost capacity further.

A new direct shipping service has linked the Port of Karachi in Pakistan to Chattogram in a separate development, reducing transit time and costs. Previously, goods between the two countries were transshipped through ports like Colombo and Singapore.

On November 11, the container vessel MV Yang Xiang Fa Zhan became the first to operate on this route. It arrived in Chattogram with 328 import-laden containers, including 264 from Karachi.

The vessel departed for Indonesia the following day and had a carrying capacity of 2,300 containers.

“This service, if sustained by increased imports, will strengthen regional connectivity, linking ports in the UAE, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India,” said Rear Admiral Moniruzzaman.