Chittagong Port Authority chairman Rear Admiral S M Moniruzzaman on Monday said that the authority aimed to bring the first terminal of the Bay Terminal project into operation by 2030.
Speaking at the 鈥楪eneral Market Engagement Conference for the Bay Terminal Marine Infrastructure Development Project鈥� held at Shaheed Mohammad Fazlur Rahman Munshi auditorium of the Chattogram port, the CPA chairman said that if work begins by mid-2026, the target would be achievable.
He said, 鈥極ur target is to make 鈥楾erminal One鈥� operational by 2030. If we can start work by the middle of next year, I believe it will be possible. All ongoing projects under the CPA were being implemented following the Public-Private Partnership guidelines. We are making remarkable progress. I hope within the next few months we will be able to share a success story.鈥�
Responding to questions from journalists, he said the upcoming multipurpose terminal would be capable of handling both container and general cargo vessels. Gear vessels are gradually being phased out. To ensure future efficiency, we must enable gearless vessel operations and make practical decisions to maintain full operational efficiency.
He added that world-class consulting firms were involved in evaluating market potential, business models, financial returns, and social and environmental aspects of each project. The Bay Terminal will be a project the nation can take pride in. We are working with a hundred-year vision so that it remains resilient against major natural calamities.
The CPA chairman said that once operational, the Bay Terminal would allow direct shipping routes from Bangladesh to Europe. We want Bangladesh to become a regional manufacturing hub.For that we must ensure a reliable market with 24-hour channel operations, capacity to handle large vessels and globally compliant efficient operations.
He added that major global companies were already showing interest in investing in Bangladesh as a manufacturing destination. We are losing about one million US dollars every day due to the absence of the Bay Terminal. The project will open new doors of capacity for us.
CPA member (engineering) Commodore Kawsar Rashid said that the Bay Terminal project was a timely initiative to ease growing pressure on the existing Chattogram Port. All stakeholders want the Bay Terminal implemented swiftly. The project would include construction of breakwaters, navigation channels, railway and road connections, container yards, jetties, and other modern infrastructure.
During a presentation, Kawsar Rashid said the CPA planned to implement the Bay Terminal Marine Infrastructure Development Project between April 2025 and June 2031 at the Anandabazar area of North Halishahar in Chattogram city.
The CPA initiated the Bay Terminal project in 2014 at the Patenga coastal area to accommodate larger vessels and meet the rising trade demands. In 2017, a foreign firm conducted technical, financial, and environmental studies and prepared a master plan, which was finalised and unveiled in November past year.
According to the plan, the terminal complex will feature two container terminals of 1,225 metres each and one multipurpose terminal of 1,500 metres, with a total of 11 jetties over 4.95 kilometres. Ships of up to 12 metres draft and 300 metres in length will be able to berth there.
