Decision on Bay Terminal at final stage

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury yesterday said the government is going to take final decision soon regarding construction of Bay Terminal, the long-awaited mega project of Chattogram port. 

“The government is at the final stage on Bay Terminal. We are going to take final decision any time in this regard,” said the state minister while talking to newsmen after the first meeting of the recently-reshuffled body of Chattogram Port Advisory Committee in the port city yesterday afternoon.

The four-hour meeting, that started at 10am was held at the auditorium of Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) Training Institute, with Khalid Mahmud in the chair.

CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Zulfiquer Aziz moderated the meeting, also attended by information minister Dr Hasan Mahmud.

CPA took the project several years back to construct a mega container terminal, after a huge land mass emerged from sea bed near Halishahar coast, creating a six-kilometre long channel for vessel movement.

The project was planned to be completed in three phases, the first phase of which was earlier expected to be completed by 2021 -- creating around 4,00,000 square metres of container storage space.

CPA has so far acquired 66.85 acres of privately-owned land for the project, and land development activities are going on. The Central Land Allotment Committee in its 120th meeting in March this year allocated another 803.17 acres of government land.

Five international port giants -- including PSA Singapore, China Merchants Sports Holding Company Limited, DP World of UAE, International Port Development Co-operation of Korea, as well as India -- have so far expressed interest in funding and constructing the mega project.

At yesterday’s meeting, the port’s stakeholders stressed the need for gearing up steps to implement the Bay Terminal as an extension of the port’s existing yard, in order to cope with the USD 50 billion export target.

The state minister said they are working to complete the ongoing projects of the port timely, so that it can become capable of handling the export target by 2021.

The information minister earlier at the meeting said the port’s efficiency and capacity need to be enhanced, since not only the country’s economic development but also the region’s development depends on Chattogram port’s development.

After a new minister took charge of the shipping ministry following last year’s parliamentary election, the ministry on July 10 reshuffled the body of the Chattogram Port Advisory Committee, forming a 60-member new committee, comprising all stakeholders, local lawmakers and political leaders.