Posted on May 4, 2026
Dredging work for the much-anticipated “Matarbari Port Development Project” begins today, marking a major step toward establishing Bangladesh’s first deep seaport. The project, expected to transform the country into a key international transshipment hub capable of accommodating large mother vessels, has reached this milestone six years after receiving approval. Earlier, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), the implementing agency, signed an agreement on 22 April last year with a Japanese joint venture contractor for construction of the seaport at Matarbari in Moheshkhali upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. Preparatory activities—including site demarcation, land acquisition, and compensation—have progressed by about 99% since work began in October last year.
Confirming the development, CPA Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim told the Daily Sun that dredging of the public terminal basin, in front of the proposed jetties, will commence on Sunday. Following dredging, construction of jetties and other infrastructure, along with installation of equipment, will proceed in phases. Project officials said around 7.2 million cubic feet of sand will be extracted during dredging, followed by landfilling before jetty construction begins.
Under Package-1, civil works for the port will be carried out, while Package-2A covers procurement of cargo-handling equipment and security systems, and Package-2B includes tugboats, survey boats, pilot boats, and the Vessel Traffic Management System. The contract for Package-2A has already been signed, with equipment expected to arrive within two to three years in line with project progress. Package-2B was re-tendered earlier and is currently under evaluation.
The project is designed to ease mounting pressure on Chittagong Port and meet the growing demands of Bangladesh’s export-import trade. Officials expect the deep seaport to reduce container transportation time by 50% and freight costs by 25%, significantly enhancing trade competitiveness. Jointly financed by the Bangladesh government, the CPA, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project has an estimated total cost of Tk24,381.40 crore, with around Tk6,200 crore allocated for Package-1.
Currently, Bangladeshi cargo destined for Europe, America, and other regions must be transferred onto mother vessels at transshipment ports such as Singapore, Colombo, and ports in Malaysia, as local ports cannot accommodate such large vessels. As a result, shipments often take more than 40 days to reach their destinations. Once operational, the deep seaport will be able to handle mother vessels carrying up to 8,200 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) containers, reducing transportation time by half to around 20–22 days. Improved facilities are also expected to lower freight charges by approximately 25%, benefiting export-import businesses.
Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Chairman Captain Salauddin Chowdhry said the Matarbari Deep Seaport would redefine the country’s international trade landscape, strengthening global competitiveness and reducing import costs, ultimately benefiting consumers. Construction under Package-1 includes a 460-metre container jetty, a 300-metre multipurpose jetty, 5,100 container ground slots, a terminal building, pavement, retaining walls, a seawall, boundary wall, land development, dredging, land reclamation, an emergency generator, solar panels, and terminal utilities. The jetties will accommodate vessels with a draft of up to 14.50 metres and a length of 300 metres, capable of carrying 8,200 TEU containers.
As part of supporting infrastructure, the Roads and Highways Division will develop a 27.7-kilometre roadway linking the port to the national highway at an estimated cost of Tk12,942.37 crore. By 2029, the port is expected to handle between 0.6 and 1.1 million TEUs annually, with capacity projected to reach 2.2 to 2.6 million TEUs by 2041. In comparison, Chittagong Port currently handles around 3.4 million TEUs annually but cannot accommodate vessels with a draft exceeding 10 metres and a length of 190 metres.
The mega project, approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in March 2020, has a completion deadline of 31 December 2029. Meanwhile, the Coal Power Generation Company of Bangladesh has already constructed a 14.3 km artificial access channel, with a depth of 18.5 metres and a width of 350 metres, along with two jetties under the 1,200MW coal-fired power plant project at Matarbari. Several hundred ships have already delivered materials and coal for the power plant, and responsibility for the channel was formally handed over to the CPA on 20 September 2023.
