Bangladesh and DP World set for 15-year Chattogram terminal deal

From 8 October 2026 — Daily Brief

Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates are scheduled to sign a 15-year concession agreement on 8 October for Dubai-based DP World to operate and maintain Chattogram Port’s New Mooring Container Terminal and its overflow yard.

The signing is planned under a public-private partnership arrangement. The New Mooring terminal is one of the port’s most important facilities and handles a large share of the country’s container traffic.

The proposed agreement would mark a significant change in the management of a strategic piece of national trade infrastructure. The terminal was previously operated by a local company before Chittagong Dry Dock, a Bangladesh Navy-run entity, took over operations after the earlier contract expired.

The planned concession has also generated opposition. Port workers and campaigners have threatened disruption if the agreement proceeds, arguing against handing operation of the terminal to a foreign company.

Because the signing was scheduled for 8 October, Bengal Brief is treating this as a planned transaction, not a completed one. The terms, final execution and any operational transition should be assessed after the agreement is actually signed and made available.