Under Bangladesh’s interim government, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is fast-tracking a 15-year deal to hand over the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to the UAE-based DP World.
The move to transfer the country’s most profitable maritime asset to a foreign operator has sparked legal battles, labor strikes, and claims that the terminal is being significantly undervalued.
Operational since 2007, the NCT is the crown jewel of Chattogram Port, the nation's primary trade gateway. The facility includes an 820-meter quay and four container berths. According to the CPA’s proposal, the goal of the partnership is to boost capacity and efficiency to support Bangladesh’s growing export economy.
DP World was selected as the sole potential partner, with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) serving as the transaction adviser. The 15-year concession includes a six-month transition period. Once the contract ends, the facility—including any new equipment installed—will return to the CPA at no cost.
A feasibility study values the project at $205 million.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) specifically restricts bidding to DP World or a consortium led by them. To qualify, the operator must have handled at least 750,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) annually over the last three years and maintain a net worth of at least $100 million.
The winner must also pay a $2 million development fee to the IFC and a $400,000 success fee to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority.
The lack of open competition prompted a lawsuit from the Bangladesh Young Economists Forum. While the High Court was initially split on the issue in late 2025, a Supreme Court ruling on January 29, 2026, cleared the final legal path for the deal. However, critics continue to seek a "status quo" order to halt the handover.
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