Bangladesh has just taken a significant step in modernizing its maritime corridors.
The government has signed a concession agreement with APM Terminals and local partner QNS Container Services Ltd to develop the Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram, with an investment of over $550 million.
The agreement, concluded with the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), has an initial duration of 30 years, with the possibility of extension based on performance. Particularity of this project: the terminal will be entirely designed, financed, built, and operated by the investors, a first for the country’s port infrastructure.
Seatrade Maritime News
APM Terminals, a subsidiary of the AP Moller-Maersk group, is not entering unfamiliar territory: Maersk already manages nearly 30% of Bangladesh’s containerized traffic, both imports and exports. The new terminal should help absorb the growth in textile and manufacturing exports, while reducing chronic congestion at existing docks.
Seatrade Maritime News
Once operational, around 2030, Laldia is expected to increase annual port capacity by more than 800,000 TEUs, while allowing Chattogram to accommodate ships up to 6,000 TEUs, compared to the current limit of around 2,800 TEUs. For shippers, this means more direct calls, reduced waiting times, and potentially better reliability of Asia–Europe and Asia–Middle East rotations transiting thru Bangladesh.
Seatrade Maritime News
The project also aims to be a “green” showcase: electrified handling equipment, solar panels on the terminal structures, preparation for shore power to allow ships to connect to the electrical grid. The Bangladeshi authorities already present it as the country’s first “green port” and one of the largest European direct investments ever made in the national economy.
