Published : 30 Aug 2026, 08:00 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:37 AM
Construction work on the container terminal at Chattogram’s Laldia Char has officially begun.
Participating in the foundation stone laying ceremony on Sunday, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said: "Today is a new chapter because we are about to enter a new era of investment, technology and terminal handling. A huge investment in PPP (public-private partnership).
"We will be able to handle 800,000 TEUs (twenty-foot long containers) every year. There will be many modern facilities. Today is the start of establishing international confidence in investment in Bangladesh."
Referring to the terminal, the first at Chittagong Port, to draw foreign investment, he said:
"The progress needed to modernise Chittagong Port is starting. Many more are interested. Discussions are underway while keeping the country's interests as the main priority.
"The Laldia modern terminal will also show us the way on how to operate. All the cooperation required for its implementation will be provided by our ministry."
Speaking at the event, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said: “The heart of the people of Chattogram is the port. All economic activities here revolve around the port. We now have an elected government.
“The government has a target of a trillion dollars by 2034; which is maybe a little ambitious. But in the long run, we have to be ambitious.”
Commenting that the economy is run powered the private sector, he said: “The government’s job is to support them. To achieve our goal, we need the best business policies, investment policies and logistical support.
“Our goal is to turn Chattogram into a logistical hub; not just for Bangladesh, but for the region. So the potential of Chittagong Port must be fully utilised.”
The finance minister said, “I hope that the work on this terminal will be completed within the stipulated time. We are ready to provide all kinds of cooperation from the government. We want to open the door to the world. Not just as a logistics hub, but for all kinds of investments.
“Along with this, we are going to build a few more ports. How many more economic zones will there be in Chattogram? The expectation of the people of Chattogram, and the expectations of the people of Bangladesh, are that Chattogram will be the commercial capital.
“Nobody makes a commercial capital. Commercial capitals are formed. When economic activities increase through these works, that will make it the commercial capital.”
On Nov 17, under the interim government, APM Terminals - a company of the Danish Maersk Group - signed an agreement with the Chittagong Port Authority to build a terminal at Laldia Char on the south bank of the Karnaphuli River.
As per the terms of the agreement, the Chittagong Port Authority officially handed over the land for the project to APM Terminals on Apr 22 of this year.
Under the concession agreement, which was signed for a period of three years during the construction period, the company will operate the terminal for 30 years after its launch. And if the terms of the agreement are met and adhered to, this period will be extended by another 15 years. In total, the terminal can be controlled by the company for 48 years.
Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Christian Brix Møller said, “Denmark is a close economic partner of Bangladesh. We are always interested in working together for the progress of Bangladesh.
“Through Laldia Terminal, Bangladesh is sending a message that Bangladesh is open for investment and trade.”
Ramesh David, CEO of APM Terminals, said: “This is a project of many firsts. The first PPP, the first foreign direct investment and the first greenfield terminal. We will use new and modern technology here.”
Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman, chairman of Chittagong Port, said: “Ninety-five percent of the country’s imports and exports go through Chittagong Port. Port management is changing rapidly worldwide. If we do not adopt modern technology, we will fall behind. We have to adopt green and modern technology to provide timely services to port users.
“APM Terminals is very experienced in international standard port management. Within three years, you will see its reflection in Laldia. This is going to be the first terminal to operate 24/7. Ships with a container capacity of twice our current capacity will dock at Laldia Terminal.”
Ministry of Shipping Secretary Zakaria and APM Terminals Global Head of Operations Jack Craig spoke at the event.
Once the construction work on the new terminal is completed, ships with a draft (the depth of the ship in the water) of 10.5 metres and a capacity of 6,000 TEUs will be able to dock there.
Port users and traders see the construction of the terminal as a positive initiative. They believe that it will increase the capacity of the port, allow goods to be unloaded quickly and at a low cost, and facilitate the movement of large container ships.
On the other hand, protesters demanding the protection of the port believe that if one terminal after another is handed over to foreign entities, government control over port management will decrease in the future.
They have also raised a demand for reconsideration of such agreements in the public interest, stating that this will not only harm the national economy in the long run, but also reduce the country's strategic capabilities.
