Bay terminal project to be reviewed this month

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 19: The mega Bay Terminal project of Chittagong Port is set to be reviewed this month, with construction work expected to begin soon, according to officials concerned.

Meanwhile, a revised action plan for the terminal's construction has been submitted to the Ministry of Shipping for approval, consolidating key components into a single initiative to streamline both construction and future operations.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic  Council (ECNEC) is expected to approve the development project proposal (DPP). Sources said Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (Rtd) M Shakhawat Hossain held a meeting with stakeholders on November 10 last to review the project.

Top officials of the World Bank, the Port Authority of Singapore (PSA), the DP World, the PPP, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) as well as the ministry officials attended the meeting.

Sources said the master plan for the terminal has been prepared by two South Korean consultancy firms -- Kun Hwa Engineering and Consulting Company Limited and Daeyoung Engineering Company Limited -- who were appointed as project consultants in April 2022.

The CPA has decided to set up the terminal on 900 acres of land on Patenga coastline with all modern port facilities to mobilise the port activities and reduce transportation costs.

The terminal will enable large vessels, which currently cannot dock at Chittagong Port's jetties, to carry out shipment operations. The Bay Terminal, which is likely to be operated in 2026, is expected to increase the container handling capacity of the port up to 5 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) yearly from the existing 3.1 million TEUs.

The terminal is also expected to contribute 2 to 3 per cent to the national economic growth.

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