Bangladesh’s main container port in Chittagong will see nearly half of its seaborne trade handled by Dubai-based DP World under a 15-year concession deal signed Thursday. The agreement transfers operational control of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT)—the country’s largest container facility—to the global logistics giant, marking a major shift toward international private-sector involvement in Bangladesh’s port operations.
The signing took place at the Invest Bangladesh office in Dhaka. Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman, chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO of DP World, affixed their signatures. Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam and State Minister Md Rajib Ahsan attended, alongside officials from the firm’s board, the UAE Embassy, and Invest Bangladesh. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, advised on the transaction.
The CPA will retain ownership of the NCT while the company takes over management, paying an upfront fee of about Tk 6.0 billion. It also committed to invest over Tk 10 billion in the first decade on modern equipment, digital systems, and infrastructure upgrades. The government expects the terminal’s capacity to rise from 1.2 million TEUs to around 1.8 million TEUs within a few years as efficiency improves.
Bangladesh’s port sector has long struggled with chronic delays, with trucks waiting up to 24 hours to unload containers and vessels spending 2.5 to three days at the port. Under the new management, officials aim to slash truck turnaround times to two hours in the first year, 1.5 hours in the second, and one hour by the third. Vessel processing times could drop to between one and 1.5 days.
The move reflects a broader push to modernize Bangladesh’s trade logistics, where current port-handling efficiency was around 70 percent, compared with about 93 percent at leading international container terminals. The Chittagong Port, which handles roughly 92 percent of the country’s foreign trade, ranked 364th out of 400 in the 2025 Container Port Performance Index.
DP World operates over 80 marine and inland terminals across 40 countries and handles about 10 percent of global container traffic. It will integrate the NCT into its worldwide network. The partnership is designed to improve transparency, reduce manual intervention, and streamline customs processes through digital systems. The government will receive a share of revenue and a fixed annual fee.
Shipping Minister Rabiul Alam addressed concerns about sovereignty, noting that foreign operators manage 80 percent of global container terminals without losing control. He emphasized that competition remains and that the concession would bring international standards to the NCT while maintaining Bangladeshi ownership.
The NCT, built at a cost of Tk 5.72 billion and completed by China Harbour in 2007, has become a critical node in Bangladesh’s trade ecosystem. With the firm’s expertise, officials hope to align the terminal with global benchmarks, where ports like India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port process containers in under two days and Singapore averages less than one day.
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