Business leaders have urged the government to appoint foreign operators at Bangladesh鈥檚 ports to enhance efficiency and align operations with international standards, instead of resisting such moves.
They made the call at a roundtable titled 鈥楥hallenges and Opportunities in the Logistics Sector鈥�, held at a Dhaka hotel on Sunday.
The event was organised by The Financial Express with the support of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Conveyor Group, Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association, Anchorage Container Depot Ltd, and Bangladesh Container Shipping Association.
BKMEA president Mohammad Hatem said that foreign operators could improve management efficiency while enabling local manpower to learn modern technologies and international practices.
Criticising the recent 40 per cent charge hike at Chattogram Port, he said that such a move was unjustified without prior discussion or logical explanation as the port was a service-oriented organisation.
He also stressed the need to operationalise the Bay Terminal and maximise the use of Mongla and Payra ports to help reach the $100 billion export target.
Beyond ports, Hatem underscored the urgency of addressing energy shortages and law-and-order issues to support export growth.
BGMEA senior vice-president Inamul Haq Khan pointed out that container handling at Chattogram Port takes five to six days, compared to the global standard of one to two.
鈥極ften, we are forced to send goods by air to meet buyers鈥� commitments, which costs four times more than sea shipments,鈥� he said.
Former Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association president Kabir Ahmed also backed foreign involvement, alleging that a vested group continued to oppose such reforms.
He further called for reforms at Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, noting that all four Explosive Detection System machines remained inactive.
Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Md Shahriar said that exporters faced extra costs as every truck in metropolitan areas was forced to pay Tk 50鈥�200 in bribes, while port delays kept vehicles waiting three to four days, thereby pushing up exporters鈥� costs.
Speaking as chief guest, shipping ministry senior secretary Mohammad Yousuf said that construction of a multi-modal logistics hub at Bay Terminal in Chattogram would begin soon. The planned facility would integrate rail, road, and sea transport, with a new railway container terminal in Halishahar.
鈥楤y 2036, the Bay Terminal is projected to handle 5.36 million TEUs, compared to Chattogram Port鈥檚 current capacity of 2.86 million TEUs,鈥� Yousuf said.
He added that by October, a report from the adviser would be submitted, and by December, at least one Bay Terminal would be handed over to a contractor.
The New Mooring Container Terminal is also expected to be transferred to a global operator under a transparent deal by October.
The senior secretary said that the National Logistics Policy would soon be amended.
Policy Exchange Bangladesh chairman Masrur Reaz observed that the country was 鈥榝ive decades behind鈥� in logistics development due to the absence of a proper policy, regulatory framework, and market structure until the recent adoption of a logistics strategy.
The discussion was chaired by The Financial Express editor Shamsul Huq Zahid, with Independent University Bangladesh Professor Md Mamun Habib delivering the keynote address.
Leaders from various trade bodies and the shipping sector also spoke at the event.