14.5 C
Hamburg
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Home Port News Bangladesh appoints IFC as transaction advisor to build Laldia container terminal

Bangladesh appoints IFC as transaction advisor to build Laldia container terminal

To build a new container terminal in Chittagong’s Laldiar Char, the Bangladesh government appointed the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as transaction advisor to study, design and negotiate with foreign companies.

The terminal will have a quay length of 450 meters and a water depth of 10.5 meters where vessels up to 9.5 meters will be able to take berth.

The terminal will be built under government to government (G to G) arrangement and APM Terminals, a Maersk Group subsidiary, proposed investing US$400 million to build the terminal.

The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority, under the Prime Minister’s Office, signed the agreement with the IFC for providing Transaction Advisory Services for the project titled “Establishment and Operation of Laldia Container Terminal at Chittagong Port through PPP Model”

This agreement aims to obtain assistance in detailed technical, legal, and financial due diligence, alongside a scoping study on the environmental and social impacts of the proposed terminal project, the PPP Authority said after signing the deal.

“The goal of the study is to develop a bankable transaction structure and select qualified private partners for the establishment and operation of the Laldia Container Terminal at Chittagong Port through the PPP model,” stated the authority.

The Laldia Container Terminal project is expected to strengthen the port logistics capacity of Bangladesh. The selected global private operator will design, build, finance, operate, and transfer the terminal on a PPP basis.

“The project will create numerous jobs during construction and operations. It will also boost economic growth, streamline supply chains, attract foreign investment, and enhance logistical capacity,” commented the PPP Authority.

At the initial stage, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) had decided to build a bulk cargo terminal at Laldiar Char. However, later the government decided that a multipurpose terminal would be built there to handle both container and bulk cargoes.

Early last year Maersk Group submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Shipping expressing interest to invest in construction and operation of Laldia Container Terminal.

Maersk Group chairman Robert Maersk Uggla and Danish Charges D’ Affaires in Bangladesh Andres B Karlsen met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 28 August 2023 where she assured of considering the proposal. At the meeting, Maersk Group leadership mentioned that major apparel retailers are interested in importing more readymade garments from Bangladesh.

Later, top apparel retailers like H&M and Marks & Spencer wrote to the government of Bangladesh supporting Maersk’s proposal to build the Laldia Container Terminal.


Sharar Nayel
Asia Correspondent





Latest Posts

ORBCOMM unveils new container visibility tool

ORBCOMM has announced the launch of CrewView, an onboard visibility solution designed to give vessel crews real-time access to data from smart refrigerated and...

SAAM-Enap partnership: Latin America’s first electric tug en route to Chile

Latin America’s first fully electric tugboat has officially set sail from Tuzla, Turkey, on a 45-day journey to Puerto Montt, Chile. From there, it will...

Singapore and France sign enhanced maritime partnership agreement

French Minister for Transport Philippe Tabarot and Singapore’s Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow signed an Enhanced...

CMA CGM, DP World Ramp Up Investment Amid Global Trade Turbulence

As global trade fragments under the weight of geopolitical tensions, French shipping group CMA CGM and UAE-based logistics company DP World are positioning themselves...

AD Ports establishes Tbilisi Intermodal Hub in Georgia

AD Ports Group has announced the inauguration of the first phase of Tbilisi Intermodal Hub, Georgia's first modern, bonded container and intermodal terminal, and...
error: Content is protected !!