Deal signed to construct Matarbari deep seaport

Bangladesh has signed an agreement with two Japanese firms on the construction of the Matarbari Port, the country’s only deep seaport in Bay of Bengal.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has signed the deal with two Japanese firms to build the port with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) credits under the state-run entity’s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) programme.

CPA signed the agreement with Japan’s Penta-Ocean Construction Co., Ltd. and TOA Corporation on the joint venture project at a ceremony in the capital on Tuesday, which was joined by Shipping Ministry Adviser retired Brigadier General Dr M Sakhawat Hussain.

Navy chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Shipping Ministry’s senior secretary Mohammed Yousuf, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman witnessed the signing on Bangladesh side while deputy chief of mission of Japanese embassy in Dhaka Naoki Takahashi and chief representative of JICA’s Bangladesh office Tomohide Ichiguchi were present.

According to the statement apart from the providing the loan JICA is also extending technical cooperation to build the port and its surrounding infrastructure “with global best practices in terms of design, environmental considerations, and operational efficiency”.

The site of the port is situated near Cox’s Bazar’s Maheshkhali Upazila.

The state-run Japanese lending agency is also financing a 27-km access road linking Matarbari Port to national highway no. 1 or Dhaka-Chattogram Highway along with improvement of several bottlenecks along the existing highway from Chattogram to Chakaria of Cox’s Bazar.

The construction work will end by December 31 in 2029.