The government will not sign any agreement with UAE-based DP World for the operation of Chattogram Port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) during the tenure of the current government, Public Private Partnership (PPP) Authority Chief Executive Officer Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said on Sunday.
He made the statement at a media briefing held in the afternoon at the Foreign Service Academy on Bailey Road in the capital.
The PPP chief executive said discussions on the NCT are being conducted under a government-to-government (G2G) framework, involving the Chattogram Port Authority on behalf of Bangladesh and state-owned DP World on the other side, as part of a project-based public-private partnership initiative.
He clarified that the PPP Authority is facilitating the negotiation process but is not the decision-making body. “We are involved in the process as the contracting authority, but we do not take the final decisions,” he said.
Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud also disclosed that DP World recently sent a letter to the Chief Adviser’s Office, expressing satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing discussions and optimism that the process would move forward in a positive and appropriate direction.
He said DP World has sought additional time to review the draft concession agreement, which means the negotiation process will continue for some time and may extend into the tenure of the next elected government.
According to the PPP CEO, discussions on the NCT project began in 2019, while the final phase of negotiations started about a month ago and is currently being carried out intensively at various levels of the government. However, completing the process will require more time.
With the national parliamentary election and referendum scheduled for February 12, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud said it is not possible for the current government to conclude or sign any agreement with DP World regarding the operation of the New Mooring Container Terminal.