Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Monday told Parliament that the government has no plan to cancel or renegotiate the concession agreement for the Laldia Container Terminal project at Chattogram Port.
“The deal was signed transparently in line with all applicable laws and procurement guidelines,” he said replying to a starred question from BNP lawmaker Md Shahadat Hossain (Lakshmipur-1).
The minister said the agreement covers a total period of 33 years, including three years for construction and 30 years of operation, and will be extended it by another 15 years.
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The minister said the concession agreement for the "Establishment and Operation of Laldia Container Terminal at Chittagong Port through PPP Model" project was signed under the provisions of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Act, 2015, the Policy for Implementing PPP Projects through Government to Government (G2G) Partnership, 2017, and the Procurement Guidelines for PPP Projects, 2018.
He said the agreement was executed following due government procedures with full transparency and forms part of a government to government (G2G) PPP arrangement between Bangladesh and Denmark.
The minister said Bangladesh and Denmark signed a memorandum of understanding on June 30, 2021 to promote environmentally friendly and sustainable infrastructure development through public private partnerships.
As part of that process, Denmark-based APM Terminals, a subsidiary of the Maersk Group, submitted an expression of interest on May 21, 2023 to construct the Laldia Container Terminal on the right bank of the Karnaphuli River at Laldia Char.
He said the project received policy approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on November 29, 2023.
It was later presented at the first Bangladesh Denmark PPP Joint Platform meeting on 3 January 2024, where the Danish government confirmed APM Terminals as the implementing partner.
He said the PPP Authority appointed the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as the transaction adviser on 10 June 2024.
After completing all due diligence and negotiations with the preferred bidder, the transaction adviser submitted the final concession agreement to the Ministry of Shipping on 10 November 2025 for the required clearances and legal vetting.
The agreement was subsequently approved by the Advisory Committee on Economic Affairs (ACEA) on 12 November 2025 and received the approval of the Chief Adviser on 16 November 2025.
The Letter of Award (LoA) was issued to APMT BV on 17 November 2025, and the concession agreement between the Chittagong Port Authority and APMT BV was signed on the same day.
He said the terminal will be built on vacant land within Chattogram Port and will significantly enhance the port's handling capacity, create employment opportunities and facilitate technology transfer.
The Denmark-based company will invest US$550 million in the project, he added, reiterating that the government has no intention of cancelling or revising the agreement.