Patenga Container Terminal may start in next July. A team of representative of Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT), who are assigned to conduct the operational activities of the terminal, visited Patenga Terminal in the first week of this month (December) to finalize the starting of operations.

The above stated information was revealed from their meeting with the authorities concerned of the terminal.

According to the authorities concerned of the terminal, a team of RSGT inspected the terminal at the first week of December. With a view to get the primary idea on investing at the terminal and conduct its activities, they held meeting with Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman, shipping secretary Mohammad Mostafa Kamal, Chattogram Port Authority chairman M Shahjahan, PPPA executive director Md Mushfiqur Rahman and other concerned people. The authority has been working to start the container terminal in next July.

Shipping secretary Mohammad Mostafa Kamal told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “RSGT visited Chattogram port with a view to conduct operational activities of the terminal and evaluate the investment.”

Regarding the meeting he said The terminal was constructed with Tk 24 crore in government-to-government (G2G) system under Public Private Partnership (PPA) and the responsibility of conducting its operational activities were assigned to RSGT in July 2021.

In the meeting held recently, PPP authority demanded a report on handing over the operational activities to RSGT of Saudi Arabia and transaction of financial activities to IFC.

According to the officials, on February 23, in the first meeting of Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia held virtually, Jeddah Islamic Port was selected as the operator to conduct activities of Patenga Container Terminal. The visit of RSGT was its first visit under Jeddah Islamic Port chief executive officer (CEO) Janes Flowe.

Shipping secretary Mohammad Mostafa Kamal said in order to execute transactional activities with RSGT, International Finance Corporation (IFC) was appointed as the transaction adviser. IFC has developed a business model in this regard.

According to Chattogram Port sources, in this terminal constructed on 32 acres of land, around 4, 50,000 TEUS containers will be handling each year. Chattogram Port authority has constructed the terminal by spending Tk 229 crore and 48 lakh. In PCTC, there will be three jetties for container unloading and one for oil unloading. Four ships can be anchored here at a time.

92 percent of total sea-port based export-import is done through Chattogram port. At present, there are 3 container terminals and 19 jetties. Upon inauguration of PCT, the total number of jetties will be 23. Now, ships of 9-meters draft and 190 meters length can reach the port. In PCT, ships with 10 meter draft and 200 meters length could be anchored easily.  

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on December 17, 2022 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque