Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Monday said the under-construction Matarbari Deep Seaport in Cox's Bazar is expected to transform the country’s maritime trade by enabling large mother vessels to call directly at a Bangladeshi port, significantly reducing dependence on foreign transhipment ports.
Replying to a question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Nurul Islam (Chapainawabganj-3) in Parliament, he said the construction of the deep seaport is progressing with the goal of commencing operations by 2029.
The minister said the port will feature a modern container terminal and a navigational channel with a depth of about 16 metres.
Once operational, the port will be capable of accommodating container vessels with a capacity of around 8,200 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) or cargo ships of up to 100,000 deadweight tonnes (DWTs), nearly four times larger than the vessels currently handled at Chattogram Port.
The minister said the project will substantially reduce Bangladesh's dependence on transhipment hubs such as Colombo, Singapore and Port Klang, cutting both shipping time and logistics costs associated with transhipment.
He said the Matarbari Deep Seaport will open up new opportunities for the country's import and export trade by making cargo transportation and handling faster, more efficient and cost effective, while enhancing Bangladesh's competitiveness in international trade.
The port is also expected to emerge as a major regional maritime hub, facilitating international trade and transit for neighbouring countries and strengthening regional economic cooperation, Rabiul Alam said.
He said the existing depth of the Karnaphuli Channel ranges between 8.5 and 10 metres. As it is a naturally formed channel, the required depth is maintained through capital and maintenance dredging.
Currently, Chattogram Port can accommodate vessels with a draft of up to 10 metres and an average carrying capacity of around 3,000 TEUs at its jetties. However, as it is a tidal port, vessel berthing and sailing depend on tidal conditions.
The minister acknowledged that the limited channel depth at Chattogram Port continues to affect the efficiency of import and export operations. “To address the challenge, the government has undertaken several initiatives to reduce time and costs.”
These include efforts to introduce direct shipping services between Chattogram Port and destinations in Europe, the America and the Middle East, he said.
Rabiul Alam said around 80 percent of container unloading and delivery operations at Chattogram Port have already been digitalised, while work is underway to digitalise the remaining 20 percent.
The Patenga Container Terminal (PCT), constructed with Chattogram Port's own funds, is now being operated by Saudi Arabia-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) under a government-to-government agreement, he said.
The minister also said construction of both the Matarbari Deep Seaport and the Bay Terminal is progressing. “Once completed, the two facilities will be able to receive vessels with drafts of 12 to 14 metres and reduce vessel waiting time through direct berthing.”
To ease container congestion, he said the government is encouraging the delivery of all import containers through private inland container depots (ICDs) and off-docks, he said, adding that more than 10,000 TEUs of long-staying containers inside Chattogram Port are also planned to be auctioned through customs to free up yard space and speed up cargo handling.
In addition, initiatives have been taken in coordination with the National Board of Revenue to implement a pre-arrival customs clearance process, enabling faster release of imported goods before vessels berth at the port, Rabiul Alam said.
He said the government expects the phased implementation of these measures to improve port productivity and facilitate faster cargo handling at lower costs.