Currently, goods are handled through four container terminals at Chittagong Port. Of these, Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) is operated by Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT). Another is Newmooring Container Terminal (NCT). Abu Dhabi-based DP World is being given the responsibility of operating it in December. This terminal alone handles 44 percent of the port's containers. The remaining two terminals are Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) and General Cargo Berth (GCB).

Apart from this, the government is going to build three new terminals named Bay Terminal-1 and 2 and Laldia. The responsibility of operating these will also be handed over to foreigners. The terminal at Char in Laldia is being given to Denmark's APM Maersk. DP World is being appointed for one of the Bay Terminal projects, and PSA International of Singapore is being appointed for the other. As a result, five of the port's seven terminals will go to foreigners. The appointment process will be completed by December 31.

Currently, two terminals are in the hands of Bangladeshi companies. One of them is CCT; it is currently operated by Saif Power Tech. The contract with them will expire in December 2027. GCB is operated by 12 Bangladeshi berth operator companies.

On August 10, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury announced that four terminals would be handed over to foreign operators at the Chittagong port. However, he said that the port would retain control of all the terminals. Foreigners will build three of the four terminals and operate them for a specified period. The Patenga Container Terminal has already been handed over to Saudi Arabia's RSGT.

Chittagong Port currently handles 3.3 million containers annually. With the addition of three new terminals, this number will reach about 7.6 million. This is more than double the port's current capacity.

Three new terminals will be built with foreign investment. The cost will be $3.8 billion. However, it is not yet clear whether DP World will make any new investment in the largest terminal, NCT.

Earlier, when the government planned to involve a foreign company in terminal management, various groups, including port users, spoke out for and against it. Although the government saw potential in foreign investment, political parties accused it of a 'conspiracy'.

Port users say that handing over the port to foreigners after renovation will increase profits. However, it will also increase costs for importers and exporters.

Officials said that more than a dozen foreign companies have come to Chittagong port with investment proposals worth about $7 billion (Tk 84,000 crore). Of these, the government has responded to three foreign companies' proposals worth $3.8 billion for the construction and operation of three new terminals. Proposals worth $800 million in Laldia and about $3 billion for two terminals in Bay Terminal are being finalized.

However, the government has not yet revealed anything about what conditions the foreign company will have to comply with; who will operate the terminal for how long; whether they will handle the entire container management process or just move containers around the terminal; and how much the country's import and export costs will be reduced if a foreign operator comes.

The port authorities are also not saying anything publicly. But as a preparation for hiring foreign operators, they have already taken several new steps, including reducing the number of gearless ships, increasing tariffs, and making the NCT more dynamic.

NCT now has all the necessary equipment including gantry cranes, stud carriers. Several changes have been made to this terminal in the last one month before it was handed over to a foreign company. About 20 percent more containers are moving in one month than before. Port users say that the port would have been more dynamic if these renovation steps had been taken earlier.

Sicom Group, which exports goods worth $800 million annually through Chittagong Port, told that businessmen had been talking about the reform measures taken in NCT for a long time, but they are now being implemented.

International Business Forum-Chittagong Chapter Chairman SM Abu Tayyab said, "The Chittagong Port is currently providing more services than its capacity. Even then, there was an opportunity to increase its capacity. It is also necessary to investigate why it has not been done so far."

Abu Tayyab said, "What conditions will foreign companies adhere to; how economical will the transportation costs and time be when they come to our products - these issues need to be taken into consideration."

Regarding foreign investment, former board member of Chittagong Port Mohammad Zafar Alam said, "If new foreign investment comes on the condition of building infrastructure, then we welcome it. But we need to think about how right it is to give foreigners the opportunity to invest in the existing terminal. In addition, foreign companies should not only be given the opportunity to operate the terminal but also be involved in container management. They should be involved in the process of how to transport a container from Chittagong to Dhaka in less time and at a lower cost than the current one."