Ctg port authority halts contractor recruitment for Kamalapur ICD operations for two months

The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has suspended the ongoing tender process to appoint a contractor for container and cargo handling at Dhaka's Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD) for two months.

According to a CPA notice signed by Port Director (Traffic) Enamul Karim today (22 July), the suspension — effective from 23 July — was imposed "due to unavoidable reasons."

The tender had been floated under the One Stage Two Envelope Method for a five-year contract.

CPA Secretary and spokesperson Md Omar Faruk confirmed the suspension to The Business Standard.

The port authority had initially invited tenders for the five-year contract on 7 April. Following industry feedback, the submission deadline was extended from 22 June to 27 July, with the bid opening date moved to 28 July.

However, on 25 June — just three days after the extension — the CPA suspended the process for one month, starting from 23 June. This latest notice further extends that suspension by two more months.

Kamalapur ICD, operational since 1987, plays a key role in reducing pressure on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway. Import containers from Chattogram Port are transported by rail to this depot, while export cargo is dispatched to the port from Kamalapur in the same way.

Saif Powertech Limited has been operating the ICD since 2013 under a 10-year contract that expired in 2023. Following the contract's expiry, CPA issued a fresh tender on 18 June 2023, which was later cancelled due to objections over restrictive conditions. A revised tender was floated on 12 September 2023 but retained the controversial clauses, leading to renewed criticism and eventual cancellation.

In the interim, Saif Powertech continues to run the facility under a Direct Purchase Method (DPM) arrangement.

Kamalapur ICD handled 88,507 TEUs in FY 2023-24, down from 94,254 TEUs in FY 2022-23 and 102,132 TEUs in FY 2021-22, according to CPA data.