CPA gets land for Matarbari Sea Port project

After prolonged complexities over land issues, Cox's Bazar district administration provided the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) with 283.27 acres of land for the Matarbari Sea Port project on Wednesday.

Taking possession of the land was the main hurdle in starting the project, expected to be completed by 2026. To complete the project within the stipulated time, tenders will be invited in three phases – terminal construction, acquiring equipment for the terminal, and securing vessels for port operations, CPA Deputy Manager (Estate) Jillur Rahman told The Business Standard (TBS).

The 250-metre-wide channel made for the project will also be expanded another 100 metres. 

Arafat Siddique, assistant commissioner at the land acquisition branch of Cox's Bazar district administration, said the CPA has formally taken possession of the land for the project. The CPA will demolish any existing structures on that land.

Compensation cheques are being provided to over 200 landowners whose land has been acquired. So far, eight people have received their cheques. There is a requirement that affected landowners have to be given the cheque within 60 working days after the notice is issued.

At the initial stage of the Matarbari project, Cox's Bazar district administration determined 283.27 acres of the project area as final. Accordingly, CPA provided a Tk75-crore-cheque to the district administration on 2 June last year. Later, locals said the land was indeed salt flats or land suited to salt production.

Following the claim, a committee formed by the Ministry of Land visited the land and determined the land to be salt land. The compensation value after modifying the land category was settled at a value of Tk162 core.

On 13 January, the district administration was given another Tk87 crore and the process of paying the affected people began.

The Matarbari Deep Seaport is being constructed in the Dhalghat area of Maheshkhali upazila of Cox's Bazar with funding from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica).

The Matarbari Deep Sea Port Development Project formally launched on 16 November 2020. When the construction is completed, ships with a depth of 18 metres will be able to dock at the Matarbari port terminal. This port will be able to accommodate 8,000-10,000 container ships.

Expenditure on the development of Matarbari port has been estimated at Tk17,777 crore – Jica's loan of Tk12,892 crore, CPA's funding of Tk2,213 crore, and the government's Tk 2,81 crore.