by .jpg)
Chittagong, June 22, 2025: The controversial operator Saif Powertec, responsible for managing Chittagong Port’s critical New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), is set to be replaced as its contract expires on July 6. The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has decided not to renew the contract with Saif Powertec, opting instead to operate the terminal under its direct supervision, following high-level government directives. This marks the end of Saif Powertec’s over one-and-a-half-decade dominance at the port.
Port officials have already begun preliminary work to take over the terminal’s operations. If all goes as planned, the CPA will assume control of NCT operations from July 7. On June 19, Port Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman sent a letter to the Senior Secretary of the Shipping Ministry, requesting approval for an estimated budget of BDT 420 million to manage the terminal for six months. The budget will cover the operation of key equipment, including quay gantry cranes, rubber-tyred gantry cranes, and IT systems, with an estimated monthly expenditure of BDT 70 million.
A meeting held on June 18 at the Shipping Ministry finalized the decision to operate NCT under the CPA’s management. As appointing a new private operator through a tender process is time-consuming, this step was taken to ensure uninterrupted import-export activities. Nasir Uddin, Chief Personnel Officer and spokesperson for the CPA, told Dhaka Post that once financial approval is received from the ministry, final preparations will begin. The port’s mechanical and traffic departments have already started the process of taking over operations from Saif Powertec.
Previously, various groups protested against handing over NCT to foreign operators, with some alleging that these movements were orchestrated to protect Saif Powertec’s interests. Shipping Advisor Brigadier General M Sakhawat Hossain revealed a leaked WhatsApp chat, claiming that Saif Powertec’s Managing Director, Tarafdar Ruhul Amin, instructed to disrupt port operations by pouring money into the effort.
Saif Powertec began its journey at the port in 2005 with equipment maintenance contracts. After the Awami League came to power in 2008, the company, with support from top party leaders, established a monopoly over container handling and other port operations. Its close ties with former Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, former MPs MA Latif, Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury, Shamsul Haque Chowdhury, and Chittagong city Awami League General Secretary AJM Nasir Uddin enabled it to secure repeated contract renewals, often without tenders or with conditions designed to favor the company.
AI/MR
