The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) on Monday signed a 30-year deal with Denmark-based APM Terminals, , a subsidiary of the AP Moller–Maersk Group, for the development and operation of the Laldia Container Terminal.
Under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) deal, the Danish company will invest Tk 6,700 crore to design, finance, construct and operate the terminal in the upper estuary of the Karnaphuli River for three decades, with scope for extension based on performance.
The facility—Bangladesh’s first port-sector PPP project with Denmark—is expected to significantly boost the country’s maritime capacity. However, many organizations have opposed the interim government’s move to lease out sea ports to foreign companies.
APM Terminals Vice President Martijn Van Dongen and CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Syed Mohammad Moniruzzaman inked the deal at a Dhaka hotel, witnessed by senior government and foreign officials.
At the event, CPA Chairman Moniruzzaman said the terminal is critical to addressing rapidly rising cargo volumes. “Container traffic is growing at 11 percent annually. By 2030, an additional 1.5 million TEUs must be handled. Laldia is arriving when we urgently need both capacity and efficiency,” he said.
Once operational, the terminal is expected to handle more than 800,000 TEUs a year, support 24-hour operations, accommodate larger vessels and reduce logistics costs for exporters.
Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain called the investment a generational project. “This is for the future youth of Bangladesh—especially those who sacrificed on August 4. When completed, the terminal will create extensive employment opportunities,” he said, adding that capacity enhancement efforts are also underway at Mongla Port and that the country’s first Maritime Port Strategy will be finalised by December.
PPPA CEO Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said Bangladesh is preparing for major maritime expansion, including four new seaports in the coming years. “Laldia is not where our voyage ends—it’s where we set sail,” he said.
Danish State Secretary for Trade and Investment Lina Gandløse Hansen said the project will strengthen port efficiency and bilateral ties. In a recorded message, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described the terminal as a milestone in the strategic partnership and a sign of Denmark’s confidence in Bangladesh’s future.
The Laldia Container Terminal is expected to be commissioned between 2028 and 2030, generating 500–700 direct jobs and thousands more across related sectors.