United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh on Monday entered a new era of maritime logistics with the signing of a contract to open the MGH Terminal, the country’s first private container port, in what is being described as a ‘historic occasion’ for the maritime industry. Chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Rear Admiral Moniruzzaman lauded the initiative and said the contract signing of the MGH Terminal is a ‘historic occasion’ for the country’s maritime industry. “By integrating private sector agility with green technology, this terminal provides vital strategic value to the Chittagong Port. I am confident MGH Terminal will set a new benchmark for vessel turnaround times and environmental responsibility that will make our exports more competitive on the global stage,” he said. The contract signing of the facility was also attended by Group CEO of MGH Anis Ahmed, and key industry stakeholders at the CPA board room. The MGH Terminal stands as a testament to Bangladesh's growing stature in international trade, promising a faster, cleaner, and more cost-effective gateway for the nation's burgeoning import-export volumes, said the company. ​To be built on seven acres of land with a 250-metre jetty, officials said, the MGH Terminal represents a paradigm shift in the country's supply chain infrastructure. With a static capacity of 3,500 TEUs and a monthly handling capability of 40,000 TEUs, the terminal is set to expand CPA’s monthly landing capacity by 102 vessels. Officials said the MGH Terminal is distinguished as Bangladesh’s first ‘Green Port,’ integrating cutting-edge sustainable technologies to minimize its environmental footprint. The facility will feature zero-emission operations, renewable energy, carbon reduction and innovative design. ​The terminal will offer a radical improvement in vessel turnaround times. Located strategically, vessels can berth at the MGH Terminal in approximately 30 minutes from the river mouth, compared to the standard 2-hour window at the main Chittagong Port, officials said. This efficiency results in significant fuel savings of 0.6 to 1.3 tons per vessel call, drastically reducing costs for international shipping lines. Group CEO of MGH​ Anis Ahmed emphasised the group's commitment to national development and said the MGH Group is investing Tk 550 crore of their own resources to build this state-of-the-art terminal. “Our focus is on absolute efficiency; while other projects like the APM Terminal at Laldia are still in development and unreasonably escalate cost of investment within Chittagong Port, MGH Terminal is designed to be leaner, faster, and more technologically advanced. We are not just moving containers; we are moving the Bangladesh economy forward,” he said. ​As one of Bangladesh's largest multinationals with operations in 26 countries including five European nations, MGH Group is leveraging its global expertise to woo Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from top-tier global companies. The terminal is expected to create tens of thousands of new jobs aligning with the economic vision of Prime Minister Tareque Rahman to build a highly efficient, modern economy, officials said.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury has called on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and major maritime partners to strengthen their support for Bangladesh's initiatives towards a greener maritime industry in the country by 2050. "To transition to a greener maritime industry, Bangladesh, landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) require financial, technological, and knowledge support from the IMO and major maritime partners," the state minister said at the "50 Years of Bangladesh Maritime Industry: The Road to Decarbonization" organised by the Bangladesh High Commission in London during the 128th IMO Council held in IMO headquarters in the same city. "Bangladesh is currently partnering with the IMO in its SENSREC project phase-III for safe and environmentally responsible ship recycling; and has already contributed substantially to global decarbonisation by reducing, reusing, and recycling steel as the world's leading ship recycling nation," Khalid said. Read: Maritime connectivity: Maldives to establish direct shipping line with Chattogram Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the IMO Saida Muna Tasneem said, "The government under the pro-climate leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has set a vision and a mission for decarbonisation of the country's shipping sector by 2050 in line with initial IMO GHG reduction strategy." The Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to IMO cited some studies including a UNCTAD report which showed evidence that Bangladesh alone, as a major ship recycling country, reduces around 2000kg CO2 per metric ton of steel recycled, contributing significantly to decarbonisation to the maritime industry. She called upon the IMO to initiate pilot projects for Bangladesh's maritime sector to introduce new technologies for greener shipping in the country's government and private shipping sectors. Read: Thailand eyes FTA; shipping routes with Bangladesh At the event, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim commended the Bangladesh government for improving the country's ship recycling, environmental and safety standards. He also assured the IMO's continuous support to Bangladesh in its transition to a greener shipping industry. Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways and the head of the Indian delegation to the IMO Council Sanjeev Ranjan called for the full restoration of water connectivity between Bangladesh and India, which would be a significant step forward towards decarbonisation. Bangladesh Commodore Md Nizamul Haq, director-general of the Department of Shipping, presented the keynote paper on Bangladesh's roadmap to achieving a greener shipping industry. Ambassador and Permanent Representation of Brazil to International Organizations in London Marco Farani, Alternate Permanent Representative of Japan to IMO Kohei Iwaki, Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in the UK Samantha Pathirana and Deputy Director of IMO Tian Bing Huang participated in the panel discussions. Read: Bangladesh, Portugal to sign MoU to establish direct shipping links Following the event, a lunch reception was hosted by the Bangladesh delegation where Khalid announced Director General of IMSO Moin Ahmed as Bangladesh's candidate for secretary general at the IMO elections in 2023.