[🇧🇩] Sea Ports/Air Ports/River Ports/Bridges/Mega Projects

[Saif]

Payra Port nothing but a 'poisonous boil' for economy: Adviser Wahiduddin

Planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud on Sunday criticised the Payra Sea Port project as a ‘poisonous boil for the country’s economy'. “This sort of project that reaches at the middle of it is a poisonous boil for the economy,” he said while briefing reporters about the outcome of the weekly ECNEC...

en.prothomalo.com

Payra Port nothing but a 'poisonous boil' for economy: Adviser Wahiduddin
UNB
Dhaka
Published: 23 Mar 2025, 19: 16
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Wahiduddin MahmudFile photo​

Planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud on Sunday criticised the Payra Sea Port project as a ‘poisonous boil for the country’s economy'.

“This sort of project that reaches at the middle of it is a poisonous boil for the economy,” he said while briefing reporters about the outcome of the weekly ECNEC meeting held at the NEC conference room with chief adviser Muhammad Yunus in the chair.

He lamented that at the initial stage of this project no one was there to point out that there is no possibility to set up a river port here without yearly dredging, whereas the seaport is a far cry.

Mentioning that the physical implementation of the project is 72 per cent till now while the financial implementation is more than half, the adviser said, “We can axe the project if we think that this project is a bad project, but that cannot be done, the port was established primarily to import coal for the power plant.”

Wahiduddin Mahmud said that two advisers have already visited the port lamenting that this is not a seaport, not a river port, it is merely a dock for boats. Two dredgers have been bought for this port which will be used round the year to dredge the long channel, he mentioned.

“Without dredging it cannot be used as a river port,” Wahiduddin Mahmud said, adding that without this the power plant cannot be managed to run.

The planning adviser said that ECNEC asked him to visit the port and find the best solution for this project. “I can say right now that there is no best solution to this--theoretically this is a bad project.”

Wahiduddin Mahmud said that this project can be stopped, but the coal-based power plant cannot be shut down. “This plant is running well, we have to bring coal for this one,” he added.

But, he said, this project will be termed a loss project in the coming future as it will incur loss for the country.

The Port of Payra, situated in Kalapara, Patuakhali, Bangladesh, was established through an Act of Parliament in 2013 and officially inaugurated in 2016.

Located on the Ramnabad Channel, near the Bay of Bengal, the port is supposed to serve as a key gateway for maritime trade in the region.​

 

[Bilal9]

Mongla Port to be modernized, cold chain facilities added for fruit and perishables export.

 

[Bilal9]

 

[Bilal9]

 

[Saif]

China to upgrade Mongla port

The interim government on Sunday approved a project aiming at upgrading the container terminal at the Mongla port in Bagerhat with a loan of Tk 3,592.90 crore from China.

www.newagebd.net

China to upgrade Mongla port
Staff Correspondent 03 February, 2025, 00:41

Mongla port. | File photo

The interim government on Sunday approved a project aiming at upgrading the container terminal at the Mongla port in Bagerhat with a loan of Tk 3,592.90 crore from China.

The Bangladesh government will contribute the remaining Tk 475.33 crore to the overall project cost of Tk 4,068.23 crore approved by the executive committee of the National Economic Council at the Planning Commission at Agargaon in the capital Dhaka.

At a post-meeting briefing, planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud said that the port would be developed as a hub, serving the regional countries like Bhutan and Nepal.

China has long been showing a keen interest in financing the project, he said.

Shipping ministry officials said that the same project had been submitted to the ECNEC in 2020 seeking approval, but the proposal was sent back then.

Under the project now to be concluded in 2028, the port authorities will construct a container terminal with equipment, delivery yard, multi-storied car sheds, removal of sinking wreckages and improvement of main roads.

Lack of infrastructures in the port has failed to attract ships, with about 40 per cent of its berthing facility remaining unutilised.

At present, the port authorities have been implementing several projects, including the upgrading of Mongla port project at Tk 6,015 crore since 2020 with Tk 4,459 crore from an Indian loan.

The planning adviser said that foreign loans were bad, but those became burden if not invested in viable projects.

Fearing that the overall debt payment would face more pressure in the coming days due to the implementation of the mega projects by the ousted Awami League regime, he suggested higher revenue mobilisation by the National Board of Revenue.

The day’s meeting, presided over by chief adviser Muhammd Yunus, approved 13 projects at Tk 12,532.28 crore. Of the cost, Tk 4,097.23 crore will come from the local sources and Tk 7,328.95 crore from the foreign sources.

Of the approved 13 projects, nine are new projects while four are revised projects.

The other projects include Uttar Kattali catchment sanitation in Chattogram metropolis (Tk 2,797.22 crore), improved seed production and development of rice, wheat and corn, 3rd phase (Tk 474.68 crore), modernisation and development (2nd phase) of seed production, processing and distribution management of BADC (Tk 292.86 crore), food safety testing capacity development (Tk 2,409.70 crore), digging some four evaluation-cum-development wells of Titas and Kamta fields (Tk 1,255 crore), conducting three-seismic survey at Habiganj, Bakhrabad and Meghna fields (Tk 454.25 crore) and digging Sylhet-12 number well (oil well) (Tk 255.25 crore).​

 

[Saif]

About Tk 150b project for preparing construction of Bay terminal in Chattogram

The World Bank will finance Tk 102.72 billion and the government provide Tk 46.37 billion from the state exchequer.

en.prothomalo.com

About Tk 150b project for preparing construction of Bay terminal in Chattogram
Special Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 19 Apr 2025, 22: 53

Workers are seen handling a container at Chattogram sea port in 7 February 2022 Prothom Alo file photo

A support project with a budget of about Tk 150 billion will be undertaken for the preparations of the construction of Bay terminal in Chattogram.

The project tilted Bay Terminal Marin Infrastructure Development Project will be placed at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Sunday for approval.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will preside over the meeting at the NEC conference room of the Planning Commission in the capital.

According to the Planning Commission, the Chittagong Port Authority will implement the project in Anandabazar area of the port city’s South Halisahar from April 2025 to June 2031.

Breakwater and navigation channel facilities, as well as all necessary infrastructures and facilities will be constructed under the proposed project.

The World Bank will finance Tk 102.72 billion and the government will provide Tk 46.37 billion from the state exchequer.

Three Bay terminals will be built to facilitate the Chittagong port operation. Two of the terminals will be built under public private partnership (PPP) while the Chittagong Port Authority will construct the remaining one.

The government formulated the Strategic Master Plan for Chittagong Port in 2015, which includes the construction of Bay terminals. A feasibility study was carried out later. However, separate project was also undertaken to build the required infrastructures for the constructions of Bay terminals.​

 

[Saif]

Matarbari all set to sign deal for two jetties

The long-awaited journey towards Bangladesh’s first deep-sea port at Matarbari in Cox’s Bazar is finally approaching a major milestone.

www.thedailystar.net

Matarbari all set to sign deal for two jetties

The long-awaited journey towards Bangladesh's first deep-sea port at Matarbari in Cox's Bazar is finally approaching a major milestone.

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is set to sign a contract on April 22 for the construction of two jetties—marking the beginning of the first phase of the Matarbari Port Development Project.

The agreement will be signed with a Japanese joint venture comprising Penta-Ocean Construction Co. Ltd. and TOA Corporation, at a ceremony scheduled to be held at a hotel in Dhaka, confirmed CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk.

The contract, titled "Matarbari Port Development Project Phase-1 Package 1: Procurement of Civil Works for Port Construction," is valued at approximately Tk 6,200 crore and the deadline for completing phase-1 has been set for 2029.

Funded mostly by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the total cost of the port project is estimated at Tk 24,300 crore.

Phase-1 includes the construction of two jetties: a 460-metre-long container jetty and a 300-metre-long multi-purpose jetty.

It also covers yard reclamation, soil improvement, terminal facilities, and the construction of administrative and operational buildings, according to Commodore Kaosar Rashid, CPA member for harbour and marine and the project director.

Once operational, Matarbari Port will become the country's first deep-sea port, capable of handling container vessels with capacities of up to 8,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

In contrast, the Chattogram port currently accommodates vessels of up to 2,500 TEUs.

The vision for a deep-sea port at Matarbari emerged in 2018 when the government launched a coal-based power plant project in the area.

The need for a wider and deeper channel to transport fuel sparked the idea for a full-fledged seaport.

The state-owned Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh (CPGCBL), which implemented the 1,200-megawatt power plant project, also constructed an artificial channel measuring 14.5 kilometres in length, 250 metres in width, and 18 metres in depth.

Recognising the strategic value of this deep-draft channel, the government decided to establish a commercial port on the same site.

JICA, which had also funded the power plant, endorsed the idea after its feasibility study revealed the seabed was deeper than previously expected.

To further facilitate the port's development, the channel was widened by 100 metres and deepened by an additional two metres.

The CPGCBL also constructed essential maritime infrastructure, including a 1,753-metre breakwater on the north side, a 713-metre breakwater on the south side, and a 1,802.85-metre revetment—all using stone blocks.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) originally approved the Matarbari Deep Seaport Development Project in 2020 with an estimated cost of Tk 17,777 crore and a Phase-1 completion target of 2026.

However, in October 2024, ECNEC revised the project, raising the budget to Tk 24,381 crore and pushing the deadline to 2029.

According to port officials, the 37 percent rise in project costs resulted from factors such as the depreciation of the taka, increased land acquisition expenses, and design modifications.​

 

[Bilal9]

Once operational, Matarbari Port will become the country's first deep-sea port, capable of handling container vessels with capacities of up to 8,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

In contrast, the Chattogram port currently accommodates vessels of up to 2,500 TEUs.

The ships with capacity of 8,000 TEUs are called Post-Panamax class container ships.

Here is the draft relationship per TEU capacity. Since Matarbari has 18 metre draft, it can easily accommodate much larger 14000 TEU container ships (New Panamax Class).

14000 TEU ships are also called ULCC (Ultra Large Container Carrier). Here is one from Yang Ming Lines,

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If they can change the design of the ships (shallow draft design by Maersk and other shipping companies) - even Chittagong can definitely accommodate higher TEU container ships.

The Bay Terminal at Chittagong (when finished) can accommodate these 3000 or so TEU ships and so can Mongla. 3000 TEU ships are at the higher size end of the Singapore to Chittagong feeder class ship, most ships nowadays calling at Chittagong port are close to 1500~2000 TEU size.

So much for the BJP dream of "shutting down Bangladesh exports".