Tk 300cr private ICD starts operation in Chittagong today

Twenty kilometers away from Chittagong Port, this inland container depot on around 46 acres of land will be able to handle 15,000 (twenty equivalent unit) containers.Photo: STAR

A Tk 300 crore off-dock Inland Container Depot (ICD) 'KDS Logistics', begins its formal operation today on a sprawling 14.65 lakh square-feet (around 46 acre) land at Sonaichhari in Sitakunda, about 20km from Chittagong port.
Shipping Minister Afsarul Amin will formally inaugurate the yard in the morning. Industries Minister Dilip Barua, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud, Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and a few lawmakers are expected to be present in the inaugural function.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies the ICD is capable of handling around 15,000 TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Unit) containers, said Quazi Murad Hossain, KDS group executive director.
He said the modern and swift services of this depot would help boost the trade and economy of Bangladesh to a great extent.
KDS Group, one of the country's leading apparel, accessories, textile and steel producers, is launching the logistics yard raising the private off-dock service providers tally to 14 who together operate a huge business worth between Tk 1,000 crore and Tk 1,500 crore.
“KDS Logistics, having enough space for handling both empty and loaded containers with additional parking, aims to provide hassle-free as well as prompt, efficient and international standard operational services in order to meet the increasing needs of shipping trades and support the Chittagong Port in quick handling of containerised cargoes and container vessels,” said KDS Group Chairman Khalilur Rahman.
The group chairman is looking forward to get to the break-even point in only five years with an expected annual turnover of Tk 80 crore from KDS Logistics.
Sources said Bangladesh handles 25,000 TEUs a month in export business while in import the private off-dock operators handle 10,000 TEUs out of 50,000 TEUs per month.