Govt appoints project director, coordinator for Chattogram Port’s Bay Terminal
Both appointments were made through orders signed by Joint Secretary of the Ministry, Abul Hayat Md Rafique, under the Deputation-1 wing
The Ministry of Public Administration appointed two senior officers of the Bangladesh Navy to lead the Bay Terminal Marine Infrastructure Development Project (BTMIDP) of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), a major initiative aimed at significantly enhancing the country's port capacity.
According to separate notifications issued by the Ministry of Public Administration Commodore Md Mahfuzur Rahman has been appointed as the Project Director and Commander Mohammad Moniruzzaman as the Project Coordinator of the BTMIDP on Tuesday (24 July).
Commodore Mahfuzur Rahman is currently serving as the Controller of Examinations at Bangladesh Maritime University.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Commander Moniruzzaman is an officer of the Bangladesh Navy.
Both appointments were made through orders signed by Joint Secretary of the Ministry, Abul Hayat Md Rafique, under the Deputation-1 wing.
Abul Hayat Md Rafique, Joint Secretary of Deputation-1 Wing at the Ministry of Public Administration confirmed the appointments of the Director and Coordinator of the Bay Terminal Project.
The appointments come as the project gains momentum following the approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on 20 April this year. The total cost of the BTMIDP has been estimated at Tk 13,525.57 crore.
The marine infrastructure development project is a flagship component of the broader Bay Terminal initiative. It includes the construction of a seven-kilometre navigational access channel, a six-kilometre breakwater and the development of essential utilities and support facilities. Such as common infrastructure, connecting roads and railways, internal terminal roads, a service jetty and water, electricity and gas connections.
The project is scheduled for completion by June 2031. To finance the infrastructure, the World Bank approved a $650 million loan in June 2023.
In addition to marine infrastructure, the overall Bay Terminal project involves the construction of three terminals—two container terminals and one multipurpose terminal.
The multipurpose terminal is being developed jointly by the Chittagong Port Authority and AD Ports Group, which has pledged $1 billion in investment.
Meanwhile, PSA Singapore and DP World are expected to invest $1.5 billion and $3 billion respectively in the two container terminals.
The Bay Terminal project was undertaken in 2014 to address growing container congestion at the Chittagong Port. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the construction of the terminal on 1 November 2018. Initially, the project was expected to be completed by 2021, based on preliminary surveys.
Located on 2,500 acres of land along the coast of Patenga-Halishahar, about 6 kilometres from the existing port, the Bay Terminal is set to transform Chattogram into a major regional maritime hub upon completion.
