The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is likely to appoint contractors for construction of the Matarbari Deep Sea Port in Cox's Bazar very soon.
The CPA has completed evaluating the technical and financial aspects of offers submitted by the Japanese joint venture contractor that qualified for the tender.
Meanwhile, the required concurrence from the financier Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has also been received, officials have confirmed. The contractor will be appointed after receiving government approval.
The authority will go for appointment of contractors for both portions of the Chittagong Port and the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) soon.
The drawing and design of the port have already been completed, said CPA sources.
The Matarbari deep sea port channel in Maheshkhali of Cox's Bazar was handed over to CPA in September of last year.
The state-owned Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) has transferred channel management responsibilities to the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA). Going forward, CPA will oversee the preservation and control of the channel.
Furthermore, the CPA is now responsible for collection of various fees, including port dues, berth hire charges, piloting, tug charges, berthing, and other associated fees.
Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) stated that upon successful implementation of the Deep Sea Port project at Matarbari, the export, import, and maritime connectivity of Bangladesh will experience a significant boost.
The Deep Sea Port is poised to enhance the capacity of the Chittagong Sea Port, leading to a substantial increase in the handling of cargoes and containers.
"To build a deep-sea port to expand the capacity of the Chittagong port was the demand of time. After completing construction of the deep sea port at Matarbari, a new economic belt will be developed from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar, which will enrich our economy," he added.
Sources said the deep sea port was originally built for the Matarbari coal-fired power plant, then the government decided to turn it into a deep sea port.
CPA signed an agreement with Nippon Koei Company on September 23, 2020.
They formally started their work on November 16, 2020.
The new deep sea port will be the first deep sea port in Bangladesh and is planned to reduce pressure on the Chittagong port. In the first stage, one 300-meter-long multipurpose terminal and one 460-meter-long container terminal will be constructed by 2026.
The navigation channel will be 350 metres in length with a maximum permissible draught of 16 metres. Ships with the capacity of 8,000 TEUs of containers will be able to berth.
The container terminal will be built on 18 hectares and have an annual capacity of 600,000 to 1.1 million TEUs.
Later, the container terminal will be expanded to 70 hectares, with a 1,850-metre berth, and have a 2.8 million TEUs of capacity.
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