Leaders of several political parties have warned of street protests if the government moves forward with the plan to hand over the New Mooring Container Terminal of Chittagong Port to foreign companies. Speaking at a protest rally organised by 'Desh Bachao, Bandar Bachao Andolan' in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday, they accused the government of conspiring to lease key national assets to foreign interests. The rally drew participation from leaders of various political organisations, including the Biplobi Workers Party, Gono Adhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jatiya Dal, Gono Forum, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), Bangladesh LDP, and Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh. Ctg port, airport to fully operate from today Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Biplobi Workers Party, criticised the ongoing activities concerning the Chittagong Port, saying that thousands of crores of taka are transacted daily through the New Mooring Container Terminal, generating significant revenue for the state. He alleged that there is a conspiracy to hand over control of this vital infrastructure to foreign entities. Issuing a 72-hour ultimatum to the interim government’s shipping adviser, Saiful Haque demanded the suspension of any agreements with the Dubai-based company allegedly involved. He warned, "As an independent nation, we cannot hand over Chittagong Port to foreign companies. The government must prioritise national interest and the well-being of the people." Nurul Haque Nur, President of Gono Adhikar Parishad, expressed dismay that such discussions were even necessary following the mass uprising that led to the formation of the interim government. He called for local companies to continue managing the ports, stating, "Domestic companies are still operating the ports effectively—there is no need to bring in foreign firms, which would result in significant job losses." Other speakers also echoed similar sentiments. Syed Ehsanul Huda, Chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Dal, warned that handing over Chittagong Port to foreign interests could lead to long-term economic and political consequences. He also criticised the perceived influence of foreign powers on the current government, particularly India. HC stays enlistment process of operators by Ctg Port Authority for 6 months Subrata Chowdhury, Co-Chairman of Gono Forum, pointed out that both the High Court and Appellate Division have previously ruled against leasing Chittagong Port to foreign companies. He also mentioned that Mongla Port faces similar threats. Mujibur Rahman Manju, Member Secretary of the AB Party, stressed the port's importance as a national asset, urging the government to focus on improving local capabilities instead of outsourcing operations. "If we lack the skills, we must develop them. Thousands of jobs will be at risk if foreign companies take control," he said. Shahadat Hossain Salim, General Secretary of Bangladesh LDP, called on the shipping adviser and the Chittagong Port Authority to stop any further talks of foreign leasing, adding that such actions would not be tolerated by the people.    

An eight-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the fire in two ships carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at Kutubdia point of the Bay of Bengal that occurred early Sunday, officials said. The Chittagong Port Authority formed the committee following the directive of Shipping and Textiles Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain. Commodore M Fazlar Rahman, a member of the Chittagong Port Authority (Harbor and Marine), will lead the investigation committee. Other members are Captain Md Faridul Alam, Deputy Conservator at Chittagong Port; Navy Commander Rafiqul Islam; Coast Guard Lt Commander Md Rakibul Islam Tanveer; Lt Md Noor Ashraful Aziz from DGFI; a designated representative from NSI; a designated representative from the Fire Service & Civil Defence; and Captain Sayed Ahmed, Controller of the Maritime Education (CC) Directorate of Shipping in Chittagong. 31 rescued after fire breaks out on LNG-carrying vessel off Ctg port The committee has been tasked to submit its report within the next five working days. Its objectives include determining the cause of the fire in MT Captain Nicholas and B-LPG Sofia, assessing the international standards for LPG transportation, assessing the suitability of the transported LPG, determining damages and liability arising from the incident, and formulating recommendations to prevent similar accidents in the future. The committee may also review any related matters and submit its findings. Earlier, the "B-LPG Sofia" lighter vessel caught fire after an explosion when it was at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong Port around 1am. Later, members of the Coast Guard and Bangladesh Navy rescued 31 people from the vessel. The Shipping Adviser has expressed deep concern over the recent incidents of fires on ships and has instructed authorities to enhance security measures for vessels, emphasizing the need for maximum.

Members of Coast Guard (CG) and Bangladesh Navy rescued 31 people from a lighter vessel that caught fire at Kutubdia Point in the Bay of Bengal early Sunday, said authorities. Lieutenant Shakib Mehbub, an official of the east zone of the CG in Kutubdia, confirmed the matter saying that crews and other staffs of the vessel jumped off the vessel in the sea after it caught fire around 1am. Later, the floating crew and others were rescued, he said. Read: Kalurghat Bridge struck by lighter vessel carried by strong current in Karnaphuli Earlier, the anchored vessel carrying Liquefied National Gas (LNG) caught fire following an explosion at Kutubdia Point. Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, acting Kutubdia upazila nirbahi officer, said that they informed the higher authorities, Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard. Read more: Lighter vessel carrying goods sinks in Ctg’s Karnaphuli River Locals said the ‘B-LPG Sofia’ vessel caught fire with a big bang when it was at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong Port around 1am.

As the effects of Cyclone Mocha have passed, regular flights are starting at Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport this morning (May 15, 2023). Director of the Airport, Group Captain Taslim Ahmed, said regular flights will depart from Shah Amanat International Airport from today. Earlier, due to inclement weather caused by Cyclone Mocha, the authority suspended flights at Shah Amanat International Airport from 6 am on May 13 after Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued the No. 8 disaster signal in Chattogram. Read More: Scanners to be installed soon at Ctg port gates: State Minister Meanwhile, all activities of Chattogram port were suspended since May 12 night due to fear of damage from Cyclone Mocha. Ships were being brought back to the jetty and outer anchor early today.   The Meteorological Department has asked Chattogram port to hoist local cautionary signal number 3 after the impact of Cyclone Mocha has passed. After the situation became normal, the Chittagong Port Authority decided to withdraw its alert-4 and normalise the port operations. The port will be fully operational from this morning, said Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Md. Omar Farouk. Read More: Bay Terminal Project: Deal signed with 2 South Korean companies to prepare final design

The Chittagong Port authorities on Monday suspended loading and unloading of containers fearing possible damages due to the approaching cyclone Sitrang. The authorities issued Alert No 3 for the port. “All the ships of New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) have been sent to the outer anchorage. Besides, lighter vessels have also been removed from the channel and shifted to Shah Amanat Bridge area. Loading and unloading of goods and containers are currently suspended, while large ships have been sent to the deep sea” said Md Omar Faruq, Secretary of Chittagong Port Authority. Read: Cyclone Sitrang: Everything you need to know A control room has also been opened, he said. The met office has hoisted cautionary signal no 6 in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar ports and signal no 7 in Mongla and Payra ports. The wind is blowing at a speed of 62kph within 54km of the cyclone center, which has the possibility of reaching 88kph when the cyclone reaches its peak. Read Cyclone Sitrang: Flood protection embankment is at risk in Bagerhat

The work on installing scanners at every gate of Chittagong port is underway for easing import-export activities, said State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday. The scanner installation work is also underway at all land ports, including Mongla, he said while visiting the new mooring container terminal at Chittagong Port. The state minister said Chittagong Port is being further upgraded. Patenga Container Terminal and Overflow Yard have been constructed. Read: Hasina offers Ctg port for use by India’s north-eastern states Chittagong port is ready to handle the pressure of more ships, he added. Besides, according to the agreement with India, Indian ships can use Chittagong port and from there goods can be transported to north-eastern states of India by road, said Khalid. And so, the trial runs of Indian ships have been conducted at this port and more will be done, he added. Indian ships will start using this port regularly after the ‘Statutory Regulatory Order’ from the National Board of Revenue (NRB), he added.

An agreement on the final design of Bay Terminal Construction Project at Chittagong Port was signed between the Port Authority and the South Korean companies Kunhwa Engineering and Consulting Company Limited and Dian Yang Construction and Engineering Company Limited on Tuesday.   President of joint consultancy firm Kunhwa Engineering and Consulting Company Limited Hwang Kyu Young and Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority Rear Admiral M Shahjahan signed the agreement in presence of State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury at the city's Intercontinental Hotel. Also read: Patenga Container Terminal set to open in June: CPA Chairman The South Korean joint venture will supervise the construction of the Bay Terminal along with formulating a master plan for the project which will cost Tk 126.49 crore. The cost of the entire Bay Terminal project is estimated at $210 crore. State Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said the Patenga Container Terminal at Chittagong Port is going to be opened soon. “Bay Terminal and Matarbari seaport will be brought under rail network; We are moving forward with the plan.” Bangladesh today is a role model of development to the world, he said. The 3.55 km long Bay terminal will increase the handling capacity of Chattogram Port. There are no curves in the Bay Terminal Channel and due to proper navigability, it will be possible to berth ships with a maximum carrying capacity of 6,000 TEUs in 10-12 m drafts. Also read:BPC plans to build new LPG terminal at Matarbari Three terminals- a 1225-metre long container terminal (Container Terminal-1), a  830-metre long container terminal (Container Terminal-2) and a 1500-metre long multipurpose terminal- will be constructed under the project. The Bay Terminal will have a total of 13 jetties with multimodal connectivity facilities. The Bay Terminal is located at North Halishahar, 6 km west off Chittagong Port. The distance from the bay terminal to the outer anchorage is only one kilometer. The width of the channel is 800-1200 meters.

The edible oil supply in the domestic market will be normal within a few days as huge quantity of imported edible oil has arrived at the Chittagong port from Singapore and Indonesia According to Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), around 22.9 million litres of soybean oil has arrived at Chittagong port and 13,000 tons of palm oil tankers will arrive at the port on Friday. Also read: Soybean oil price jumps as Indonesia bans export of palm oil It is learned that a ship named 'MV Orient Challenge' carrying 22 million litres of crude soybean oil from Singapore arrived at Chittagong port on April 26. On the other hand, the 13,000 tonne palm oil carrier 'MT Sumatra Palm' is scheduled to arrive at Chittagong port on Friday (May 6). The Indonesian-flagged ship sailed from the Indonesian port of Lubuk Geang on April 26, the Marine Traffic has provided this information on its own website. CPA Secretary Umar Farooq told reporters that a ship arrived at Chittagong Port from Singapore last Thursday carrying oil. The country's top four companies City Group, Sena Kalyan Edible Oil, Bangladesh Edible Oil and Bashundhara Group have imported the oil. The process of unloading imported oil has already begun, he said. On the other hand, Kazi Abu Naeem, general manager of Mohammadi Trading Company Limited, the local agent of the Indonesian ship in Bangladesh, said that the MV Sumatra Palm ship will arrive in Chittagong port on Friday. Also read: Enough stock of edible oil to keep the price stable: Tipu Indonesia is the world's top exporter of palm oil. About 90 per cent of Bangladesh's required palm oil is usually imported from Indonesia. The country (Indonesia) has banned palm oil exports since midnight on April 28. According to Chittagong Customs, the country's top importers brought about 120,000 tonnes of palm oil in April before the Indonesian government's ban on palm oil export. Bangladesh imports about 1.3 million tonnes of palm oil annually. 90 per cent of these are imported from Indonesia. The remaining 10 per cent comes from Malaysia.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sought Bangladesh's support to use Chittagong Port. He made the request during his meeting with Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud Thursday afternoon. To ensure better use of Chittagong Port by Bangladesh and its neighbouring countries, the port is being upgraded and modernised, Hasan Mahmud said. The minister is on a week-long visit to India to attend various events, marking the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence and birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The curtain of the Bangladesh film festival was raised Thursday in Guwahati, with Hasan Mahmud as the chief guest of the opening ceremony.   Parimal Shuklabaidya, minister of the Department of Environment and Forest, Excise and Fisheries of Assam, was present as the guest of honour. Hasan Mahmud briefly elaborated how the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence are being celebrated around the world. Parimal Shuklabaidya emphasised increasing the number of cultural exchange programmes. "People of both countries would come to know each other more closely by exchanging more and more movies." The cultural soiree was illuminated by various ethnic performances of Assam. The most enthralling part was the dance performance on the famous songs on Bangabandhu translated into the Assamese language by Manjary Dance Academy and traditional Bihu dance by Assamese artists. Bangladesh lawmakers Mamtaj Begum and Saimum Sarwar Kamal spoke at the programme. Actors Ferdows, Apu Biswas and folk artist Fakir Shahabuddin were also present at the show. Among the list of films selected for screening are "Hasina: A Daughter's Tale," "Zero Degree," "Jalaler Golp," "Bapjaner Bioscope," "Krishnapaksha," "Bhuban Majhi," "Dhaka Attack," "Poramon 2," "Guerilla," "No-Dorai", and "Bhuban Majhi."   

Two days after the Chittagong Port Authority took possession of land in Laldiar Char to build it, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval in-principle to a project titled “Equip, Operate and Maintenance of Patenga Container Terminal” to be implemented under public-private partnership, or PPP, on Wednesday.