CHATTOGRAM, Apr 17: As many as 500 acres of khas land is expected to be handed over to the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) at a token price very soon to construct 'Bay Terminal'.
Deputy Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman has told The Financial Express that the district administration will hand over the land soon after the CPA pays the token price of the land.
"The CPA is likely to pay the token price of 500 acres of khas land this month," he said.
CPA Secretary Omar Faruk said, "Constructing Bay Terminal may begin this year after the completion of all processes. The CPA will pay the token price soon."
CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail said, "After the completion of the final master plan, the groundbreaking work on Bay Terminal is likely to start in October 2024."
Sources said the dispute over the handing over of the khas land came to an end in February. So, there is no obstacle to constructing the terminal.
They said the district administration is giving 500.71 acres of government land to the CPA which price is only Tk 30,000,003.
To this effect, the Ministry of Land on January 31 sent a letter to the CPA and the Chattogram district administration.
The sources said the Chattogram district administration in July 2023 fixed the price of the khas land at Tk 1,241 crore. The CPA, however, appealed to the ministry to hand over the land at a token price.
Earlier in January 2022, the Chattogram district administration asked Tk 3,600 crore for the land.
The dispute over the land price remained unresolved, causing a delay in construction of the terminal.
The CPA decided to set up a new terminal named "Bay Terminal" on the Patenga coastline with all modern port facilities to mobilise port activities and reduce transportation costs.
The terminal that will be constructed on 900 acres of land will allow big ships.
It is expected to increase the container handling capacity of the port by up to 5 million TEUs yearly from existing 3.1 million TEUs.
The terminal is also expected to contribute 2 to 3 per cent to the growth of the national economy.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated construction of the terminal in 2018.
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