Construction of the much-awaited Laldia Container Terminal (LCT) at Chittagong Port is set to begin, marking Bangladesh’s first greenfield port project to be developed through foreign direct investment (FDI).
The ground-breaking ceremony will be held today, with Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury as the chief guest and Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam as the special guest.
The terminal is being developed by APM Terminals, a subsidiary of Denmark-based Maersk Group, in partnership with local company QNS Container Services. The project represents an investment of more than $550 million and will be implemented under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) signed a 33-year concession agreement with APM Terminals in November 2025, with an option to extend the concession by a further 15 years subject to conditions.
800,000-TEU Annual Capacity
Construction and commissioning of the terminal are expected to take three to four years. Once operational, LCT will have an annual container-handling capacity of around 800,000 TEUs.
The facility will feature a 616-metre jetty capable of handling vessels with drafts of up to 10 metres. It will be equipped with seven ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and 32 electric rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes, and will be capable of handling mother vessels of up to 6,000 TEUs.
The project covers 49.15 acres, including 32 acres in Block-C for the main terminal, 7.15 acres in Block-B for the container yard and approximately 10 acres in Block-A for truck parking and pre-gate facilities.
The project is expected to generate around 1,000 jobs during construction and approximately 500 jobs once the terminal becomes operational.
Direct Sea Access to Improve Vessel Movement
A key advantage of LCT will be its direct access from the sea to the terminal jetty, allowing vessels to avoid several bends in the existing navigation channel. This is expected to improve vessel movement, reduce berthing risks and facilitate safer operations, particularly during night-time berthing.
The terminal will also enable Chittagong Port to accommodate larger vessels and increase its overall container-handling capacity.
With its proximity to major industrial areas and connectivity to the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, Karnaphuli Tunnel and Outer Ring Road, the terminal is expected to improve cargo movement and supply-chain efficiency.
The project is also expected to strengthen Bangladesh’s role as a regional trade and logistics hub connecting India and Southeast Asia.
APM Terminals will become the second foreign company involved in port operations in Bangladesh. Saudi Arabia-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) began operating the Patenga Container Terminal at Chittagong Port in June 2024.
Project Delayed for More Than a Decade
The Laldia Container Terminal project dates back to 2013, when the Economic Affairs Committee of the Cabinet approved a competitive process to appoint an operator.
Five foreign companies were shortlisted in 2017, but the tender process was later cancelled. The government subsequently decided to pursue the project under a government-to-government arrangement, leading to the signing of a G2G agreement between Bangladesh and Denmark in June 2021.
APM Terminals formally expressed interest and submitted a proposal to develop the terminal in May 2023. The project finally moved ahead after the CPA signed the concession agreement with APM Terminals in November 2025.
The commencement of construction is expected to mark a major step in expanding Chittagong Port’s capacity and modernising Bangladesh’s maritime logistics infrastructure.