Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, a Bangladesh Navy-run ship repair company, has officially taken over the responsibility to run the New Mooring Container Terminal at the Chittagong Port, ending the 17-year tenure of controversial operator Saif Powertec Limited.
The handover took place at midnight past Sunday after Saif Powertec鈥檚 agreement expired and was not renewed by the Chittagong Port Authority, following government directives.
CDDL has been issued a six-month work order under the Direct Procurement Method, taking interim responsibility for managing one of the country鈥檚 most vital container terminals.
CPA secretary Omar Faruk confirmed the change of terminal operator, saying, 鈥楽aif Powertec is no longer in charge of the NCT. From early Monday midnight, the responsibility has been transferred to CDDL, which will manage the terminal under the supervision of the Bangladesh Navy.鈥�
He added that CDDL would continue managing the terminal either for six months or until a new operator is appointed. The existing workers and employees engaged under the previous operator will continue in their roles. The operational procedures will remain the same, only the management has changed.
The decision to replace Saif Powertec was finalised earlier, with initial plans for the CPA itself to operate the terminal.
However, the government later opted to delegate the task to a naval entity. Due to legal complexities, the Navy could not be given the responsibility directly, prompting the selection of CDDL, which operates under naval authority.
Saif Powertec had been in control of the NCT since 2007. Over the years, the company鈥檚 continued presence at the terminal had sparked controversies and criticism, particularly over concerns about efficiency and irregularities.
The NCT is the largest and most critical terminal at the Chittagong Port, featuring four jetties along a one-kilometer stretch. It can accommodate five vessels simultaneously and handles nearly half of the port鈥檚 annual container volume.
In the financial year 2024鈥�25, the port handled 3.2 million TEUs of cargo, with the NCT alone managing 44 per cent of it.
The terminal is equipped with 14 gantry cranes and other state-of-the-art cargo handling apparatuses. It includes advanced yard facilities that support efficient loading and unloading of containers from both large and small vessels.
After the interim government took charge, initiatives were taken to remove the controversial Saif Powertec from
the NCT and there had been a move to hand over terminal operations to foreign entities.
Since then, various parties became vocal with the demand that the port should not be handed over to foreigners. However, many complained that the movement was carried out to protect Saif Powertec, under the guise of their demands.
The Cittogong Port Authority has under its jurisdiction four container terminals: the Chittagong Container Terminal, or CCT, New Mooring Container Terminal, or NCT, General Cargo Berth, or GCB, and Patenga Container Terminal, or PCT. Among them, the NCT plays a pivotal role in maintaining the flow of international trade through Bangladesh鈥檚 busiest seaport.
