The much-anticipated Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) of Chattogram Port commenced operations today (June 10, 2024), marking a significant milestone for the port and the country. A container vessel, the Singapore-flagged ‘MAERSK DAVAO,’ anchored at the terminal this morning, initiating regular handling activities. Authorities anticipate the terminal will handle approximately 500,000 Twenty-ft Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually. PCT is the first terminal in Chattogram Port’s history to be operated by a foreign company, heralding a new era of foreign investment and operational models. This transformation has positioned Chattogram as a landlord port, a significant upgrade for Bangladesh’s maritime infrastructure. Ctg Port resumes partial activities after Cyclone Remal Six months ago, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) signed an agreement with the Jeddah-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) of Saudi Arabia. Following customs formalities and equipment installations, Red Sea Gateway Bangladesh Limited has now officially commenced operations. Omar Faruk, Secretary of CPA, confirmed that RSGT is fully prepared to manage container handling at the newly built terminal. According to the CPA, the new terminal will not only enhance the port’s capacity but also reduce the average stay time for vessels. Constructed at a cost of Tk 150 crore, funded by the port, the PCT features state-of-the-art facilities, including gantry cranes that significantly increase loading and unloading efficiency. Rear Admiral Md Sohail, Chairman of the Chattogram Port Authority, noted that it would take approximately 18 months for the terminal to become fully operational. The PCT was built on 32 acres of land near Chattogram Drydock Limited to Boat Club, with the foundation stone laid on September 8, 2017. The project, supervised by the 34 Engineer Construction Brigade of the Army, commenced construction in 2018, involving a total cost of Tk 1,230 crore. Parliamentary delegation explores Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Ctg With the new terminal, vessels will no longer need to wait at the outer anchorage for extended periods, as the Patenga Container Terminal can accommodate four vessels at once across its jetties. This increased capacity is expected to alleviate congestion and streamline operations at Chattogram Port.

Bangladesh’s steel manufacturers have long been experiencing serious problems as the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) is reportedly taking more time than usual in allowing them to unload their imported raw materials.   President of Bangladesh Steel Manufacturers Association (BSMA) Monwar Hossain in a letter to the CPA chairman on March 3 raised the issue expressing their grave concerns over it and demanded separate jetties for unloading their imported scraps, according to official sources.   He mentioned that the unusual delay in berthing the raw material-carrying ships made the situation horrible for their business.   “The mills are not getting adequate supply of raw materials to continue their production while the importers have to pay huge demurrage to shipping authorities for the excessive berthing delay,” he said in the letter.   “As a result, the price of raw materials for the steel-manufacturing industries is rising,” he added.   Also read: Realty sector hit as short supply pushes steel prices up   According to the BSMA, 58 vessels arrived at Chattogram port with about 1.328 million metric tons of scraps from September 2020 to February 2021 but each vessel had to face excessive delay in unloading the goods -- even up to 26 days.   Providing the statistics, the BSMA said the number of scrap-carrying ships is substantially rising, but the importers have to count huge costs due to the lack of adequate GI-berthing facilities at the port.    

Work to maintain a depth of 6.3 meters in the Rabnabad Channel of Payra Port was launched by the Chattogram Port Authority on Saturday.

The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent suspension of export and import for several months caused a 2 percent drop in the number of ships docking at Chattogram Port in 2020 compared to the previous calendar of 2019.