A standard modern container terminal facilitates import-export at the port. Increases port capacity. A foreign company has expressed interest in investing in building such a container terminal at Laldia Char in Chittagong. They want to invest around 500 crore rupees. After being suspended for a long time, the Laldia char container terminal project is giving new hope.
Plans for a backup yard at Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) were also taken out of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, which had been pending for nearly 11 years. Finally, Denmark-based world’s largest shipping company Maersk Line has shown interest in investing in the construction of the terminal.
It is known that the largest and most iconic project of Chittagong Port is the Bay-Terminal. Long before this project was undertaken, the port authority took the initiative to make Laldia multipurpose terminal. Following this, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Laldia Terminal project on March 11, 2013. Initially there was only a plan to build a bulk terminal, but later the port authority planned to build a multipurpose terminal on the basis of Public-Private Partnership (PPP). In the initial phase, it is planned to construct five jetties and a backup yard of 1000 meters length and 300 meters width at Laldia Multipurpose Terminal. The Laldia Multipurpose Terminal project was undertaken to increase the capacity of Chittagong port by facilitating import-export operations.
The areas of Laldia Char have been brought under our (port) control. In the meantime, boundary walls have been built around, so that the space is not encroached upon. A part of which has been earmarked for Laldia Terminal.- Deputy Manager (Land) of Port Authority Muhammad Shihab Uddin
Five interested foreign firms were then shortlisted for the construction of the country’s first PPP-based multipurpose terminal. These included India’s leading private multi-port operator Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited, Dubai-based DP World, France’s Bollor, Beijing-based China Harbor and Engineering Company Limited and Singapore-based Global Port Services.
From the initial stage, the port authorities had been claiming that 1700 families live in the proposed Laldia Multipurpose Terminal. The project is not progressing due to evictions and land complications. The government also withdrew from the implementation of projects in PPP. But at the beginning of March 2021, the port authorities took over the entire area of Laldia Char by evicting 1700 illegal settlements.
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It can be seen on the surface, after the under construction Patenga container terminal, the port authority has built a high border in the entire area from the ghat number 12 of the Karnaphuli river to the Incontrade depot. If the terminal is built near the Karnaphuli estuary, the port operations will speed up.
Port Authority Deputy Manager (Land) Muhammad Shihab Uddin told Jago News, ‘Laldia Char areas have been brought under our (port) control. In the meantime, boundary walls have been built around, so that the space is not encroached upon. A portion of which has been allocated for Laldia Terminal.
At the end of the last phase of exclusion from the PPP, hope began to rise again. Denmark-based leading shipping company Maersk Line offers to invest $40 million in Laldia Char Multipurpose Terminal. Maersk Line has been operating its business in 116 countries around the world. Maersk Line operates around 800 ships. Maersk Line has shown interest in building a new terminal under the PPP model under the JTUG (Government to Government) agreement between the governments of Bangladesh and Denmark.
Maersk Line has shown interest in investing in the multipurpose terminal project at Laldia Char. They have already made an offer. They said that they would invest 40 million dollars. Their proposal is being verified. No final decision has been made yet. Since the project will be in PPP, the Ministry and the PPP authority are working on the whole matter.- Port Authority Secretary Omar Farooq
According to sources, Maersk Line first showed interest in the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) operation. But Maersk Line showed interest in investing in the Laldia Multipurpose Terminal project after giving the Red Sea Gateway Terminal, owned by the Saudi royal family, for PCT operations.
According to Maersk Line’s proposal, they will invest USD 40 million in the project, which is about Tk 500 crore in Bangladeshi taka. After constructing the terminal and adding the necessary equipment, they will go into operation. They will operate the terminal under their own management for 40 years. Later they will hand over the terminal to Chittagong port. In the meantime, Maersk Line began surveying the project on their own terms.
According to the information provided by the PPP Authority, the proposed Laldia Container Terminal will have a length of 450 meters, berth depth of 10.5 meters and vessel draft of 9.5 meters.
Speaking about this, Port Authority Secretary Omar Farooq told Jago News, ‘Maersk Line has shown interest in investing in the multipurpose terminal project at Laldia Char. They have already made an offer. They said that they would invest 40 million dollars. Their proposal is being verified. No final decision has been made yet. Since the project will be in PPP, the ministry and the PPP authority are working on the whole matter.
MDIH/ASA/ASM
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