November 18, 2020: The works of Matarbari Port Development Project at a cost of Tk 17,775 crore began on Monday.
Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority Rear Admiral SM Abul Kalam Azad disclosed this at a press briefing, after the first meeting with Nippon Koei, a Japanese consultant for the Matarbari Port Development Project, on Bandar Bhaban premises in the port city.
He said that the Matarbari port, first ever deep-sea port of the country, will be operational by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026 and it will boost trade through the Chittagong port.
Earlier, the government appointed Nippon Koei through a contract, to provide consultancy services for the construction of a deep-sea port to handle its growing external trade.
The firm will work on details design, tender assistance, and construction supervision for marine and civil works of the JICA-funded proposed deep seaport at Matarbari area in south-eastern Bangladesh.
The Port chairman said that the deep seaport will have a 16-metre water draft and it will be able to accommodate 8,500 TEU post-Panamax vessels, lessening Bangladesh’s dependence on the feeder vessels to ferry export-import goods from different foreign ports.
In the next phase, the container terminal will be expanded to 70 hectares, with a 1,850-metre berth, and handle 2.8 million TEUs per year, the source added.
“As our economic activities have increased significantly, the construction of a deep seaport is now a demand of time,” he said.
Project director Zafar Alam said that the country’s cargo handling capacity will increase considerably when the port comes into operation and could attract shipments for neighboring countries.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
