Key facts
- DP World will operate and maintain the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chattogram Port.
- The contract duration is 15 years.
- The deal was signed on Thursday.
- The project had faced years of delays, labor protests, and a legal challenge.
- Bangladesh's interim government views foreign investment in ports as crucial for modernization.
Bangladesh has finalized a 15-year agreement with DP World, the Dubai-based logistics giant, to operate and maintain the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at the country's largest port in Chattogram. The deal, signed on Thursday, brings an end to years of protracted negotiations, labor protests, and a significant legal challenge that had previously cast doubt on the project's future.
The interim government in Bangladesh has emphasized the importance of foreign investment in modernizing port facilities and improving efficiencies to support its export-led manufacturing sector. However, the NCT deal had become politically charged, with a split High Court decision on a legal challenge creating turmoil and raising questions about foreign involvement in the nation's ports.