CPA signs deal with Korean cos

CHATTOGRAM, May 31: Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has signed an agreement with two Korean companies for the final architectural and navigational design of the Bay Terminal Construction Project at Chittagong seaport.
The Government Procurement Committee approved the Korean companies named Kunhwa Consulting & Engineering Company Limited and Deyen Yang Engineering Company Limited for consultation on April 07.
The firms will work at the cost of over Tk 1.26 billion (126 crore and 49 lac and 73 thousand taka).
The cost of the entire Bay Terminal project is estimated at $2.10 billion.
The CPA has signed the agreement with the two companies at a hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Chairman of CPA Rear Admiral M Shahjahan and President of Kunhwa Consulting & Engineering Company Limited Huang Qiu Young signed the agreement in presence of State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury.
Under the agreement, the two companies -- Kunhwa Consulting & Engineering Company Limited and Deyen Yang Engineering Company Limited -- will provide consultancy services for the preparation of the detailed master plans of the Bay Terminal project and detailed engineering design, drawing and estimation of the Multipurpose Terminal under the Chittagong Port.
The Korean joint venture will also oversee the construction of the Bay Terminal, along with the preparation of a master plan for the project.
Addressing the function, the state minister for shipping said, "We can now say that Bay-Terminal is not a dream, it is a reality now."
Among others, Secretary of the shipping ministry Md Mostafa Kamal also addressed the function.
Chairman of CPA Rear Admiral M Shahjahan told the Financial Express, "Bay Terminal is a most important project of CPA which will increase the total capacity of Chittagong seaport. The bigger ships with more length and draft will be able to berth at the jetties of the terminal for handling goods. The new Bay Terminal will immensely reduce transportation costs and bring dynamism to port activities."
CPA has decided to set up a new terminal named 'Bay Terminal' on Patenga coastline with all modern port facilities to mobilise port activities and reduce transportation costs.
The 3.55 kilometre long Bay terminal will increase the handling capacity of Chattogram Port. There are no curves in the Bay Terminal Channel and due to proper navigability, it will be possible to berth ships with a maximum carrying capacity of 6,000 TEUs in 10-12 metre drafts.
Three terminals -- a 1,225-metre long container terminal (Container Terminal-1), a 830-metre long container terminal (Container Terminal-2) and a 1,500-metre long multipurpose terminal -- will be constructed under the project.
Bay Terminal is likely to start operation in 2025.
The Bay Terminal is also expected to contribute 2.0 to 3.0 per cent to the growth of the national economy.

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