Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam. Photo: Collected
The Matarbari deep sea port in Cox's Bazar will be operational by 2029, Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam told the National Parliament. He said that if this port is operational, for the first time in Bangladesh, container ships with a capacity of about 8,200 TEUs and cargo ships with a capacity of about 100,000 deadweight tons (DWT) will be able to dock directly at the port, which will take the country's economic and commercial capacity to a new height.
The minister gave this information in response to a written question from Md. Nurul Islam, Member of Parliament for Chapainawabganj-3 constituency, during the Question and Answer Session of the National Parliament on Monday (July 13, 2026).
The Shipping Minister said that currently, large 'mother vessels' (large cargo ships) cannot dock directly at the seaports of Bangladesh due to the shallow depth. As a result, most import and export goods have to be unloaded at regional transshipment ports like Singapore, Colombo and Malaysia and brought to the country in small feeder vessels. This results in additional costs and time wastage. It also creates additional pressure on the supply system. If Matarbari Port is launched, this foreign dependence will be significantly reduced and the competitiveness of the country's foreign trade will increase.
He informed the parliament that a 16-meter-deep navigation channel and a modern container terminal are being constructed at the Matarbari deep sea port. As a result, ships with a capacity of about four times more than the ships currently arriving at Chittagong Port will be able to berth or anchor directly. This will make cargo transportation and unloading activities faster, more cost-effective and more efficient.
Highlighting the future prospects of Matarbari Port, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said that this port will not only increase the country's trade capacity, but in the future it will develop into a major 'hub' of regional maritime trade by playing an important role in the international trade and transit activities of neighboring countries.
The minister said that in addition to the Matarbari project, the government is also implementing various initiatives to increase the capacity of Chittagong Port. Among these, the initiative to launch direct shipping with various countries in Europe, America and the Middle East, 80 percent digitalization of container unloading and delivery activities from ships, operation of Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) built with the own funds of Chittagong Port, and construction of Bay Terminal are notable.
The minister further said that currently, ships with a maximum draft of 10 meters can dock at the tide-dependent Chittagong Port. However, if the Bay Terminal and Matarbari deep sea port are launched, there will be an opportunity to dock ships with a draft of 12 to 14 meters. In addition, to reduce congestion at the port, initiatives have been taken to auction off more than 10,000 TEU containers lying idle and launch a 'pre-arrival process' to release goods before the ships arrive. He expressed optimism that if these steps are implemented, the productivity and efficiency of the port will increase several times.
Source: Online/GFMM
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