Chattogram Port Authority extends tender deadline for contractor recruitment at Kamalapur ICD
Earlier, the CPA had issued an open tender on April 7 to appoint contractors for the next five years to operate the Kamalapur ICD
The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has extended the deadlines for the sale, submission, and opening of tenders for appointing contractors to handle container and cargo operations at the Dhaka Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD).
According to a notice signed by the port authority's Director (Traffic) on June 22, the sale period for tender documents has been extended from the previous deadline of June 22 to July 27. Additionally, the last date for submission and opening of tenders has been pushed from June 23 to July 28.
Md Nahid Mostafa, Deputy Secretary (Public Relations) of the CPA, confirmed the extension to The Business Standard on Sunday.
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Earlier, the CPA had issued an open tender on April 7 to appoint contractors for the next five years to operate the Kamalapur ICD.
In a major change from previous tender requirements, the authority this time removed a special condition that previously restricted competition.
Under past tenders, bidders were required to have prior experience in loading containers onto both ocean-going vessels and railway wagons—a condition that effectively disqualified all local firms except the existing operator. Several ICD owners and business groups had formally objected to this clause, submitting written complaints and holding meetings with port officials.
Responding to these concerns, the CPA omitted the controversial experience requirement in the latest tender, thereby opening up the process to a wider pool of potential bidders.
The Kamalapur ICD, owned by the Chattogram Port Authority, plays a crucial role in Bangladesh's trade logistics chain. Import containers arriving at Chattogram Port are transported by rail to this depot, from where importers take delivery. Similarly, export goods are sent from Kamalapur ICD to Chattogram Port by train.
The facility was commissioned in 1987 to ease pressure on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway. Saif Powertec Ltd has been the contractor for container and cargo handling at Kamalapur ICD since 2013 under a 10-year agreement that expired in 2023.
Following the expiry of the previous contract, the CPA floated a fresh tender on June 18, 2023, to select a contractor for the next five-year term. However, objections over the restrictive conditions led to the cancellation of that tender. A revised tender was issued on September 12, 2023, but it retained the controversial clauses, resulting in further criticism and eventually another cancellation.
During this interim period, Saif Powertec continued operations under the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) system.
According to CPA data, the Kamalapur ICD handled 88,507 TEUs in the fiscal year 2023-24, 94,254 TEUs in 2022-23, and 102,132 TEUs in 2021-22.
