Contract Finalized: DP World awarded NCT operating rights for 15 years
Collected Photo
Following years of negotiations, opposition, and complex delays, the responsibility of operating Chittagong Port's Newmooring Container Terminal (NCT) has officially been handed over to an international operator. Bangladesh signed a 15-year agreement with UAE-based DP World to operate and maintain the NCT and its overflow container yard.
The agreement was officially signed today, Thursday, at 3:40 PM. Rear Admiral S. M. Moniruzzaman, Chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority, signed on behalf of Bangladesh, while Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World, signed for the company.
International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, served as the transaction advisor throughout the process.
Operations at NCT were long handled by local firm Saif Powertec Limited. Its contract expired on July 6, 2025, after which Chittagong Dry Dock—a naval enterprise operated by the Bangladesh Navy—temporarily took over management of the terminal.
Efforts to appoint an international operator for NCT date back to 2019. In March 2023, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs granted in-principle approval to select an international private operator under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The initiative was later revived by the interim government, which selected DP World as the operator. However, the decision faced significant opposition, with labor strikes halting the process early this year. Following the inauguration of the current administration, discussions resumed and were brought to completion.
Built in 2007 at a cost of nearly Tk2,000 crore, NCT features five jetties and houses 14 of Chittagong Port's 18 gantry cranes. More than 40 percent of the port's total container throughput is processed through this terminal.
Given its scale, the government views assigning the terminal to an international operator as a key move toward boosting port capacity and improving service standards. Government officials anticipate that DP World’s oversight will shorten ship turnaround times and reduce container dwell times, thereby lowering logistics costs for importers and exporters.
The government expects export-oriented sectors—including readymade garments, agricultural goods, processed foods, and light engineering—to benefit significantly from these operational gains.
Nevertheless, long-term leasing of the NCT to a foreign entity continues to draw opposition. The Chittagong Port Protection Committee has staged multiple protests demanding the cancellation of the deal.
Protests Demand Cancellation of Lease
In capital city Dhaka's Agargaon area, activists from the Anti-Imperialism and Anti-War Alliance staged a demonstration demanding the immediate cancellation of the lease agreement handing over the Newmooring Terminal to DP World.
