CPA Secretary Omar Faruk said, "The construction of Bay Terminal may begin around this year after completing all processes, including the detailed project proposal (DPP)."
He said, "There were a few issues over the land acquisition process, which have been resolved at the meeting of the land ministry on December 27 last year, and now the land acquisition process is almost in the final stage."
The work to construct Bay Terminal is now progressing in full swing, according to the CPA secretary.
He said that CPA has signed an agreement with Sellhorn Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Germany, and AQUA Consultant & Associates Ltd & KS Consultants Ltd, Bangladesh for the selection of an international consultancy firm.
This firm will provide a detailed engineering design of the breakwater for the Bay Terminal and assess the actual volume of capital dredging, including necessary studies following the latest international standards.
The agreement was signed at the boardroom of CPA on October 19 last year.
Omar Faruk also mentioned that the consulting firms, Korean companies named Kunhwa Consulting & Engineering Company Limited and Deyen Yang (DY) Engineering Company Limited, have submitted the master plan to the CPA.
The tender and construction works for the Bay Terminal will commence within the current year.
CPA came up with the Bay Terminal plan around a decade ago. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction in 2018. The acquisition of 67 acres of privately-owned land has been completed.
The crisis emerged when CPA tried to acquire 803 acres of government land, as the local administration demanded Tk 3,600 crore for the land.
CPA requested the government to provide the government land for the Bay Terminal at a nominal price.
The local administration has now set a nominal price for the land under the direction of the land ministry. The matter was finally resolved through a recent meeting at the land ministry.
Sources from the port authority said that German and Bangladeshi firms conducted a feasibility study in 2016, which stated that the project would be funded by the government. However, later the government decided to build it through a public-private partnership (PPP).
The Bay Terminal project will include the construction of three terminals. One of these terminals will be funded by Chittagong port, while the remaining two will be built through the PPP.
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