Bangladesh has taken an important step towards strengthening its maritime and commercial infrastructure with the signing of a concession agreement with APM Terminals for the development of the Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram. The project represents an investment of over 550 million dollars, making it one of the largest public-private partnerships (PPP) in the country’s history.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and APM Terminals, together with its local partner QNS Container Services Ltd., signed a 30-year concession agreement, with the possibility of extension based on the fulfillment of key performance indicators (KPI).
Keith Svendsen, CEO of APM Terminals, stated that “it is a great honor for us to sign this agreement with Bangladesh, which highlights the enormous potential of this important market. This greenfield project allows us to play an active role in supporting the growth of local manufacturers, exporters and importers, as well as the Bangladeshi economy in general. We reinforce our commitment to the country with the aim of creating a safe and efficient terminal, in addition to generating skilled jobs for the future prosperity of the region.”
Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman, Chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority, added that “the Laldia Container Terminal will usher in a new stage in our port ecosystem. Thanks to this project, the capacity and efficiency of the Port of Chittagong will increase significantly, which will boost the country’s trade flows.”
Once operational in 2030, the terminal will expand Bangladesh’s annual port handling capacity by more than 800,000 TEU, improving the efficiency and connectivity of the country’s global trade.
The new deep-water terminal will, over time, enable the Chattogram Port to handle vessels of up to 6,000 TEU, compared to the current limit of 2,800 TEU. This advancement will reduce congestion, lower logistics costs for supply chain actors, and support the sustained growth of the export sector.
