Bangladesh News Bangladesh Economy & Development

[Isa Khan]

Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain inaugurated Nagarbari port on the bank of the Jamuna River at Bera upazila here today (8 November).

Addressing a function on the occasion he said the newly launched Nagarbari Port will boost country's economy through goods handling, generating employment and increasing revenue.

Sakhawat said the port will be operated by a private organisation, which will also arrange all necessary port management equipment.

He added that four dredgers will be deployed to ensure smooth river navigation and keep the river route operational.

The inaugural ceremony was chaired by BIWTA chairman Arif Ahmed Mustafa. Additional Secretary of the Shipping Ministry Delwora Begum was present among others.

Equipped with a 360-meter long concrete jetty, terminal, warehouses, open sheds, and other modern infrastructure, the new facility promises to make cargo unloading up to 10 times faster, officials said.

Local residents expressed optimism that the port will transform the region's socio-economic landscape, spurring trade and commerce across the northwestern and southern districts.

Md Khairuzzaman, port officer of the Nagarbari-Kazirhat-Noradah river ports, said the Nagarbari River Port will play a vital role in advancing the country's economy and improving connectivity.

Sakhawat inaugurates Nagarbari river port

Sakhawat said the port will be operated by a private organisation, which will also arrange all necessary port management equipment

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A six-lane railway underpass at TT Para, near Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka, has opened today (8 November).

Lt Gen Abdul Hafiz, special assistant to the chief adviser (defence and national solidarity development) inaugurated the underpass this morning. Sheikh Moin Uddin, special assistant to the Chief Adviser, was also present.

Project Manager Brigadier General Ahmed Jamiul Islam said it is Dhaka's first railway underpass, built under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project.

The underpass is 338 metres long and 31 metres wide, with four lanes for motorised vehicles, separate lanes for rickshaws and bicycles, and footpaths for pedestrians.

Officials said the underpass will ease traffic congestion and reduce delays at railway crossings on the road connecting Motijheel with Mugda, Manda, Maniknagar, and Sabujbagh, though its full benefits will be realised after the completion of the Kamalapur metro station.

Six-lane railway underpass in Kamalapur’s TT Para opens to traffic

The underpass has four lanes for motorised vehicles, separate lanes for rickshaws and bicycles, and footpaths for pedestrians

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[Isa Khan]

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has signed a 30-year concession agreement with APM Terminals BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Denmark’s AP Møller, Maersk Group, to design, finance, build and operate the new Laldia Container Terminal (LCT) under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.

The agreement includes potential extensions tied to performance indicators. Under the deal, CPA will retain ownership of the port, while Maersk and a local joint venture partner will manage construction, operations, and terminal management. Officials say this arrangement will significantly reduce the government’s capital expenditure burden.

APM Terminals, one of the world’s leading port operators with over 60 terminals in 33 countries, brings extensive experience from East and South Asia, including China, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The Laldia project is expected to introduce world-class technology, global operational standards, and greener port infrastructure, preparing Bangladesh’s logistics sector for the post-LDC era.

Key highlights of the project

• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): The project is expected to attract around USD 550 million, marking the largest European equity investment in Bangladesh to date. Officials said Maersk’s entry is likely to encourage other international investors in logistics, manufacturing, and related sectors.
• Expanded Capacity: The terminal will add over 800,000 TEUs per year, a 44% increase over current capacity, and is expected to be operational by 2030, helping ease congestion at existing Chattogram terminals.
• Revenue Generation: Higher throughput will boost CPA’s earnings through revenue-sharing per TEU, taxes, and additional marine services.
• Job Creation: Construction and operations are expected to generate 500–700 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs in trucking, warehousing, freight forwarding, and SMEs.
• Technology Transfer & Workforce Training: Maersk will deploy advanced terminal-operating systems and train local engineers, technicians, and managers, building a skilled talent pool for Bangladesh’s logistics sector.
• Efficiency & Trade Benefits: Faster vessel turnaround and improved container handling will reduce logistics costs, benefiting exporters in garments, agro-processing, and light engineering sectors.
• Sustainability: Energy-efficient equipment and climate-resilient infrastructure will align with Bangladesh’s Paris Agreement commitments, supporting green and climate-smart investment.
• Hinterland Development: Increased throughput is expected to attract private

investment in inland container depots, industrial parks, and cold chains, boosting economic activity beyond port cities.

PPP Confidence: The successful concession with a global operator demonstrates Bangladesh’s ability to structure and manage complex PPPs, paving the way for further investment in transport, energy, and social infrastructure.

Officials said the LCT terminal will become Bangladesh’s flagship green port, modernizing the country’s maritime logistics, creating jobs, and strengthening trade competitiveness.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/396250/maersk-to-develop-bangladesh’s-largest-green-port?fbclid=IwY2xjawOBpXBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExbUVEYVZFZFB5RUxjTDFTc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHo9MSzuwMYW5SNduHVGxAlu0fuoJWHOaZyRAUQNXsIje74C3OyCltHOQJp9-_aem_6o1gIkaDWjgZSLkSHu0G_w

 

[Isa Khan]

Bogura Airport's renovated runway.

 

[TR_123456]

Bogura Airport's renovated runway.

View attachment 78249
View attachment 78250

Looks kinda strange,the asphalt.
Whats with all the stripes?

 

[Isa Khan]

The government has finalised the process to appoint Switzerland-based logistics firm Medlog SA to manage and operate the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Keraniganj for 22 years.

An agreement is expected to be signed tomorrow between the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and the Swiss firm, a subsidiary of the global shipping line Mediterranean Shipping Company, CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk said.

The CPA will also sign a 33-year agreement with APM Terminals BV, a Dutch subsidiary of the AP Moller-Maersk Group, to develop and operate the Laldia Container Terminal at Chattogram port under a public-private partnership framework, he added.

The CPA is signing these deals at a time when different organisations are opposing the government's plan to lease various terminals of Chattogram port to foreign companies.

The Pangaon terminal was built on the Buriganga River in 2013 by the CPA and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority to reduce cargo pressure on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and rail corridors.

However, businesses have shown little interest in using the Pangaon terminal for containerised cargo to and from Chattogram port due to high inland water transport costs, lengthy customs clearance, and other challenges.

To ensure uninterrupted and cost-effective services, the shipping ministry decided in 2023, following the CPA board's approval, to appoint a terminal operator on a long-term basis through the Expression of Interest (EOI) system.

Accordingly, an invitation for EOI was issued on April 28, 2024, to appoint a terminal operator for 12 years at the Pangaon terminal.

Six firms purchased the pre-qualification documents, and by the submission deadline on September 5, 2024, three firms — Medlog SA, HR Lines Limited, and Saif Powertec Ltd — submitted pre-qualification proposals. These proposals were found substantially responsive by the pre-qualification evaluation committee formed by the shipping ministry.

In July this year, the CPA board decided to appoint a terminal operator for 22 years to attract long-term investment at Pangaon and obtained the ministry's approval.

Following the CPA board's decision, Request for Proposal (RFP) documents were issued on October 4 to the three firms deemed substantially responsive by the evaluation committee. By the RFP submission deadline on November 5, two firms — Medlog SA and HR Lines Limited — submitted their proposals.

According to sources at the CPA, at 12:30pm on the same day, the tender opening committee opened the submitted RFPs in the presence of the bidders' representatives.

A seven-member RFP evaluation committee, formed by the ministry and led by the CPA member (Harbour and Marine), completed the evaluation of the technical proposals the following day, November 6.

A CPA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the evaluation committee found that Medlog SA's technical offer scored 100 out of 100 points in six technical categories, including financial model, cargo handling equipment and performance specifications, emergency plan for fire, marketing plan, and financing plan.

Finding no issues with the technical offer, the committee declared Medlog SA's proposal responsive, the official said.

The other firm, HR Lines, scored 60 because it did not submit two of the six items in the technical scoring of its RFP and was declared unresponsive, he added.

The evaluation committee chief, CPA Member (Harbour and Marine) Commodore Ahamed Amin Abdullah, could not be reached for comment despite repeated calls.

LALDIA TERMINAL PROJECT

Under the concession agreement to be signed, APM Terminals will take about three years to complete the construction and commissioning of the Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram and will operate it for 30 years. There is a possibility of a 15-year extension.

According to the agreement, APM Terminals BV is expected to bring in foreign direct investment of around USD 550 million, equivalent to about Tk 6,700 crore, for the construction of the greenfield port terminal at Laldia.

Swiss firm to run Pangaon container terminal for 22 years

The government has finalised the process to appoint Switzerland-based logistics firm Medlog SA to manage and operate the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Keraniganj for 22 years...An agreement is expected to be signed this afternoon between the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and

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