Bangladesh has signed a concession agreement for the development of the Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram, an investment exceeding USD 550 million and described as one of the largest Public Private Partnership projects in the country’s history, APM Terminals said in a news release.
The agreement involves the Chittagong Port Authority, APM Terminals of A.P. Moller-Maersk, and local partner QNS Container Services Ltd., granting APM Terminals a 30-year operational period with the possibility of extension based on KPIs.
The investors will fully design, finance, build and operate the terminal, introducing a model not previously used in Bangladesh’s port infrastructure.
APM Terminals CEO Keith Svendsen said the project will allow the company to support local manufacturers, exporters and importers and contribute to job creation.
The initiative is tied to the Sustainable Green Framework Engagement between Denmark and Bangladesh, which aims to stimulate green investment and economic cooperation.
Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said the terminal will serve as the country’s first green port and represents the single largest European foreign direct investment in Bangladesh, adding that it should reduce logistics bottlenecks and enhance competitiveness.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen noted that Maersk handles almost 30 percent of container flows in and out of Bangladesh and called the new investment a sign of long-term partnership.
Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral S. M. Moniruzzaman said the project will significantly increase the port’s capacity and efficiency.
QNS Container Services Ltd. Chairman Nurul Qayyum Khan said the collaboration combines international expertise and local entrepreneurship and should reduce the cost of doing business.
The terminal is scheduled to begin operations in 2030, adding more than 800,000 TEUs of annual capacity and enabling the port to eventually handle vessels of up to 6,000 TEU, compared with the current limit of 2,800 TEU.
The project is expected to generate more than 1,000 jobs during construction and more than 500 during operation, along with indirect employment across multiple sectors. Planned features include electrified cargo handling equipment, solar installations and shore power-ready systems intended to reduce emissions, noise and air pollution.
APM Terminals is a global port operator headquartered in The Hague and forms part of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, a Danish conglomerate operating worldwide in container logistics and related services. The company manages a network of terminals and inland services across multiple regions and operates under international regulatory and safety frameworks associated with global maritime trade.
