The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and DP World signed a 15-year concession on 8 October 2026 for the Dubai-based operator to run and modernise the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and its Overflow Container Yard, The Business Standard reported. CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Md Moniruzzaman and DP World Chairman Essa Kazim signed the agreement in Dhaka in the presence of Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam.
What the deal covers
Under the reported terms, DP World will operate, maintain and upgrade the terminal, while the CPA keeps ownership of the land and infrastructure and its regulatory role. TBS reported an upfront payment of about Tk600 crore and investment of more than Tk1,000 crore over the first decade, with the government citing roughly $150 million in total investment and commitments across the 15 years. The CPA is to receive 67% of revenue per TEU plus an annual fee, and the concession sets a minimum volume of 1.23 million TEUs a year.
NCT handled about 13.85 lakh TEUs in the last fiscal year, around 44% of Chattogram Port’s container traffic. The minister said work would begin within six months and full operations within two years. In a separate explainer, TBS said the operator is expected to add scanning equipment, upgrade or replace cranes and move towards paperless operations.
Opposition and open questions
Workers’ leaders argue that NCT is already profitable and have raised concerns about job security, transparency and foreign control of strategic infrastructure; the government says existing workers will keep their jobs and benefits. The plan prompted an indefinite strike at the port in February 2026, The Daily Star reported at the time. According to TBS, the full agreement — including performance benchmarks and termination conditions — has not been made public.
Event date: 8 October 2026
Sources: This report summarises the following original reporting. Facts and quotations are attributed to these sources.
- The Business Standard, DP World gets 15-year concession to operate New Mooring Container Terminal (8 October 2026)
- The Business Standard, DP World takes over NCT: What changes Chattogram Port could expect (8 October 2026)
- The Daily Star, Indefinite strike disrupts operations at Chattogram port (8 February 2026)
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File photo: Chattogram port seen from a flyover, with the container terminals beyond. Photo: Owais Al Qarni / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This article is a summary prepared by Maritime News BD from the report(s) listed above; it was not independently reported by Maritime News BD.
