Bangladesh authorities signed an agreement with two Japanese firms over the Matarbari Port marking the launch of the construction of the country’s only deep seaport in Bay of Bengal, officials said.rn
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They said Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) signed the agreement with Japan’s Penta-Ocean Construction Co., Ltd. and TOA Corporation on the joint venture project at a ceremony in the capital which was joined by Shipping Ministry Adviser retired Brigadier General Dr M Sakhawat Hussain.
The project is financed through a yen loan provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), involving the construction of a container and multipurpose terminal in the Matarbari area, Cox’s Bazar District, Chittagong Division.
The main scope of the project encompasses the construction of a jetty (extension 760m, 16m deep), reclamation, soil improvement, paving work for the yard (36ha), construction of buildings such as administration building, and various terminal facilities.
The container and multipurpose terminal will be located within the port constructed by POC as the port and land development work for the “Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal-fired Power Project†(awarded in 2017), and the terminal will utilize the same navigation channel constructed then.
In parallel with its robust GDP growth, Bangladesh’s container cargo demand is expected to surge.
However, the Chittagong Port, which handles 98% of all container cargo, has only 9.5m depth, and this necessitates the development of a new port that can accommodate the recent increase in the size of international ships and future cargo demand.
As the first deep-sea port in Bangladesh, the Matarbari Port is supposed to handle up to 8,000 TEU-type container ships.
This is expected to alleviate chronic congestion at the Chittagong Port, streamline logistics operations with the neighboring countries, and thereby accelerate the economic growth in Bangladesh.
The contract amount is approximately JPY 73.4 billion (518,299,420.00 dollars), and the construction period is 42 months. ■