Chittagong port management and protection of the nation’s arteries

Mehadi Hassan Palash

There has been considerable discussion and criticism during the interim government about handing over the responsibility of operating the New Mooring Terminal of Chittagong to foreigners. Starting from the chief advisor of the interim government to the current chairman of the Board of Investment, there has been a lot of activity openly and forcefully to hand over the responsibility of operating this port to foreigners. But the patriotic people strongly opposed it. The workers associated with the port have protested. But the government was reckless. However, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNP announced at this time that no unelected government has the jurisdiction to lease this port. Due to various pressures from the environment, the interim government finally backed down at the last minute from leasing the port to DP World.

Why this activity

The interim government wanted to appoint a foreign company not only as a ‘terminal operator’, but also as a long-term ‘concessionaire’ following the African model, which is a serious risk for national security, domestic control and the economy. In the long run, if the country’s main seaport is under the control of foreign concessionaires, economic recession, famine and disruption of sovereignty and national security may occur. In addition, under domestic management, the Chittagong Port, which receives an average revenue of about 161-167 US dollars per container (TEU’s), will receive a lot of revenue in the concession agreement with foreigners. As a result, pressure will be created on the country’s reserves! There is a lot of discussion on social media that individuals in that government have benefited greatly or are trying to benefit from this.

Is Chittagong Port really becoming a regional trade hub?

We want to make Chittagong Port a regional hub like Singapore Port. But DP World, APM Terminals, Medlog – they never want Chittagong Port of Bangladesh to be established as a regional hub. Domestic and foreign lobbyists are trying to hand over Chittagong Port to foreign syndicates for personal interests, geopolitical interests and to prevent it from becoming a regional hub.

Leasing NCT to DP World is part of the India-Israel ‘IMEK Corridor’ plan. Once Chittagong Port is included in this corridor, it will not be able to get out of the Israel-India syndicate! Besides, if the Chittagong Port goes to DP World due to the I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, USA) multilateral agreement, the indirect presence, influence and bargaining power of India, Israel and America, close allies of the United Arab Emirates, as multilateral partners, will be ensured in our Chittagong Port, which can put Bangladesh’s sovereignty at risk at any moment.

Newmooring Container Terminal (NCT) is the largest terminal in Chittagong Port. NCT handles 44 percent of the containers here. This terminal can simultaneously accommodate four ocean-going container ships and one small inland waterway ship. NCT has a normal capacity to load and unload 1 million single containers from ships annually. Last year, this terminal handled 1.281 million containers.

A notification has been issued increasing the tariff for port use by 41 percent in preparation for hiring a foreign company to operate the terminal. Businessmen have also raised strong objections to this increased tariff. They allege that the government has increased the tariff to give additional benefits to foreign companies. In addition, the question is why a profitable terminal will be leased to a foreign company without a tender. Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, convener of the Chittagong Port Users Forum, said that even though the port is making a profit of more than Tk 2,000 crore per year at the existing tariff, the question arises as to whose interest the tariff increase is. “Three terminals will be given to foreigners. Now everyone is adding that this tariff has been increased to provide them with benefits. Otherwise, what is the need for the increase? The government is making a profit.”

A domestic company has been operating the NCT terminal for the past 17 years through tenders. Now it is being operated by Chittagong Drydock Limited, a company controlled by the Navy. In the fiscal year 2022-23, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) earned a total revenue of Tk 1,216 crore from NCT. And the profit after expenses was Tk 574 crore. The process of handing it over to a foreign company is also underway.

The New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) in Chittagong has been successfully and profitably operated by a domestic company for 17 years. It is handling more containers than its designated capacity and earning a revenue of more than Tk 1,000 crore. The question arises, why is there a need to hand over such a profitable terminal to a foreign company?

Threat to national security

The location of the Chittagong Sea Port is in the vicinity of the main naval base of Bangladesh. As a result, if foreign officials are present in the Chittagong Port and have access to technology, it will be easy for them to monitor the operational activities of our Navy. As a result, a security crisis will be created. Although it is a Dubai company called DP World, it is managed by Indian manpower. As a result, information about who will come there and who will go there will not be known in the name of managing this port. Also, no country in the world has ever handed over all its ports to foreigners. There are some ports of its own for national security. There are ports of its own for national secrecy. We can import or export any thing for national security or any other need that we do not want to tell anyone. But if this port is in the hands of foreigners, none of its information will be secret. If foreign operators leave during wartime or during a transitional period, our import and export activities may come to a standstill. In such a situation, a national port is needed to maintain import and export. That is why patriotic people are opposing handing over this port to foreigners.

Guarding the National Lifeline: Chittagong Port Must Be Operated by Bangladeshis

On the northern shores of the Bay of Bengal, the Chittagong Port is far more than a cargo terminal; it is the beating heart of our nation, the lifeline supporting 92% of our import-export trade, and the strongest bastion of Bangladesh’s economic sovereignty. However, for some time, a dangerous undercurrent attempting to hand over this strategic asset to foreign entities kept us awake at night. Today, we proudly declare: This battle for sovereignty has been won! The new government has made a wise and decisive ruling—the key terminals of Chittagong Port will be operated by Bangladeshi enterprises. The nation’s economic lifeline must remain firmly in our own hands!

Rejecting the “Neo-Colonial” Trap: Sovereignty Is Not for Sale

Previous proposals to lease core terminals such as Laldia, New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), and Pangaon to foreign giants (such as DP World and APM Terminals) for extended periods were essentially a perilous gamble. The “efficiency gains” and “foreign investment” touted by proponents often masked the devastating cost of losing control.

Debunking the “Foreign Dependency” Myth: We Have the Capacity to Manage Our Own Gateway

Opponents have spread the narrative that Bangladesh lacks the capability to manage a modern port and must rely on the “world’s best” foreign operators. This is nothing but self-deprecation and misinformation!

Facts Speak Louder than Words

Profitability Proves Capability: Even with aging infrastructure, Chittagong Port has maintained robust profitability, generating annual net profits in the tens of billions of Taka. This demonstrates the potential and resilience of local management.

Technology Can Be Imported, Sovereignty Cannot: What we need are advanced cranes, automated systems, and professional expertise. These can be acquired through equipment purchases, hiring consultants, or technical partnerships, without selling off operational rights for 25 or even 30 years.

Keeping Profits at Home: Under the proposed foreign schemes, the Chittagong Port Authority’s net surplus per container would have plummeted from 46 to less than2, with the vast majority of profits siphoned off by foreign entities. By operating the port domestically, these massive profits will be reinvested into national development, used to upgrade infrastructure, improve worker welfare, and reduce logistics costs.

A Historic Turning Point: The New Government’s Firm Decision

In response to strong public protests, strikes by workers, and the urgent appeals of patriotic scholars, the new Government of Bangladesh has demonstrated extraordinary political courage and a high sense of responsibility. It has officially halted the controversial foreign leasing plans and clearly decided that the core terminals of Chittagong Port will be led and operated by Bangladeshi enterprises!

This decision aligns with the will of the people and upholds the spirit of our constitution. It marks a shift away from blind faith in “foreign expertise” towards a firm path of self-reliance and autonomous development. The new government has pledged to:

⧫Establish a state-controlled professional port operating company, integrating top domestic logistics resources and introducing modern corporate governance.

⧫Increase national investment, utilizing the port’s own profits and international low-interest loans to accelerate channel dredging and equipment upgrades.

⧫Protect labor rights, ensuring that port workers share in the dividends of national development rather than becoming casualties of foreign cost-cutting and automation.

Conclusion: Taking Our Destiny into Our Own Hands

The future of Chittagong Port concerns the livelihood of every Bangladeshi, our country’s position in the global supply chain, and above all, our dignity as an independent sovereign nation.

Handing the port to foreigners might bring a brief “superficial prosperity,” but it would leave behind long-term dependency and hidden dangers. Keeping the port in our own hands, while potentially challenging initially, grants us complete control over the industrial chain, substantial national revenue, and irreplaceable national confidence.

Let us support the patriotic decision of the new government and support our domestic initiatives in taking up their responsibilities. With Bangladeshi wisdom and Bangladeshi labor, let us transform Chittagong Port into a world-class hub that will truly serve the people, the nation, and will have an impact across South Asia. Our port, our sovereignty, our future—we must take control of ourselves!