Kamalapur ICD contractor tender suspended just days after extension

The Chattogram Port Authority has suspended the tender process for appointing a contractor to handle container and cargo operations at Dhaka's Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD), just three days after it had extended the submission deadline.

In a notice signed yesterday (25 June) by Enamul Karim, director (Traffic) of Chattogram Port, the port authority announced a one-month suspension of the tender process citing "unavoidable reasons."

The suspension is effective from 23 June.

Earlier on 7 April, the port authority had floated an open tender using the one-stage, two-envelope method for the appointment of a contractor to operate Kamalapur ICD for the next five years.

A subsequent notice on 22 June extended the tender submission deadline from 22 June to 27 July, and the closing and opening dates from 23 June to 28 July.

However, just three days later, the port authority issued another notice temporarily halting the process.

Chattogram Port Secretary Md Omar Faruk remained unavailable for comments despite attempts to reach him.

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 18 June 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 12 September 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.