Fifteen months after operations began at the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT), Saudi operator Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI) has failed to deliver the promised efficiency and equipment, causing widespread delays and frustration among port users.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) built the Tk1,270 crore terminal from its own funds to add 500,000 TEUs in annual handling capacity. But since its lease to RSGTI in December 2023, under a 22-year “equip, operate and maintain” agreement, much of the facility has remained underutilised.
Despite an initial pledge to invest Tk 1,500 crore and supply modern scanners, gantry cranes, and other machinery, the operator has yet to meet its commitments.
The Chattogram Customs Agents Association (CCAA), in a letter to the CPA chairman on 7 September, accused RSGTI of inefficiency, mismanagement and failure to ease bottlenecks. Containers are piling up well beyond yard capacity, delaying both full-container-load (FCL) deliveries and less-than-container-load (LCL) cargo.
“What should take hours is now taking days,” said Mohammad Rezaul Karim Swapan, customs affairs secretary of the CCAA. “Importers, exporters and C&F agents are suffering every day because of the inefficiency of this operator.”
Importers complain raw materials are not reaching factories in time, forcing production cuts, while exporters risk missing shipment deadlines. Customs agents also allege damage to goods from poorly trained operators handling outdated equipment. Labour shortages and lack of training have compounded the delays.
Port insiders argue the CPA ignored early warnings when outsourcing the terminal, noting that CPA itself had successfully handled trial operations in 2022 and was preparing to purchase Tk460 crore worth of equipment. Instead, the contract went to RSGTI, which has yet to invest the promised Tk1,500 crore. Officials estimate the state has already lost thousands of crores in potential revenue.
RSGTI admitted receiving complaints but blamed congestion on vessel surges. “We are equipped to handle four to five vessels, but had to handle eight to nine in recent months,” said Sayed Tarique, head of customer relations at PCT. He said four rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) have arrived and will be operational by October, with 10 more to follow. Four ship-to-shore gantry cranes are due by January 2026 and expected to be operational in April. “Currently, we handle 15,000–17,000 TEUs a month. With full equipment, we will manage over 30,000 TEUs,” he added.
CPA spokesperson Mohammad Omar Faruk confirmed the authority instructed RSGTI to accelerate progress. “We expect improvements soon. Beyond revenue, this partnership is also important for Bangladesh-Saudi relations,” he said.
The Patenga Container Terminal was meant to showcase modernisation through public-private partnership. Instead, it has become a case of missed deadlines and unfulfilled promises. “We had high expectations from a globally reputed operator,” said Mahfuzul Hoque Shah, former director of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “But we are deeply disappointed. The CPA must investigate why expectations were not met and whether the concession agreement itself was flawed.”
With equipment still weeks or months away, traders warn there will be no immediate relief, leaving Bangladesh’s busiest port mired in congestion and missed opportunities.
