Construction begins on Bangladesh's first foreign-built container terminal

Overview

Updated Aug 31

Bangladesh's main seaport has followed the same playbook for decades: the state builds terminals, then hands operations to private firms. On August 30, Danish port operator APM Terminals broke ground on Laldia, the country's first terminal built from vacant land by a foreign-led consortium.

The $550 million project adds 800,000 TEUs of annual capacity, nearly a 23% jump. It will handle ships of up to 6,000 TEUs, more than double the largest vessels Chattogram receives today. The concession runs 30 years, extendable to 45, and port-protection groups have called for the deal to be reviewed.

Why it matters

This terminal more than doubles the ship size at Bangladesh's main port, the gateway for its garment exports, and adds 23% capacity.

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Key Indicators

$550 million

Investment in the Laldia terminal

APM Terminals and its local partner finance, build, and operate the terminal under a 30-year concession.

800,000 TEUs

Annual container capacity added

About a 23% increase over Chattogram port's current annual handling capacity.

6,000 TEUs

Maximum vessel size the terminal can handle

More than double the roughly 2,700-TEU ships the port receives today.

2030

Target opening year

Commercial operations are targeted for 2030 after about three years of construction.

30 + 15 years

Concession length

APM Terminals operates the terminal for 30 years after construction, extendable by 15 more.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Sheikh Rabiul Alam

Shipping Minister of Bangladesh

Presided over the Laldia groundbreaking ceremony

Organizations Involved

APM Terminals (Maersk Group)

Port operator, subsidiary of A.P. Møller–Maersk

Developer and operator of Laldia under a 30-year concession

The Netherlands-based port operator, owned by Danish shipping group A.P. Møller–Maersk, is building and will run the Laldia terminal.

Chattogram Port Authority

State port authority

Owns the port and Laldia land; signed the concession with APM Terminals

The state agency that manages Bangladesh's main seaport and will take the Laldia terminal back at the end of the concession.

A.P. Møller–Maersk

Shipping and logistics group

Parent company of APM Terminals, the Laldia developer

Danish shipping and logistics conglomerate whose port-operating subsidiary is building Laldia.

QNS Container Services Ltd

Bangladeshi logistics company

Local equity partner in the Laldia consortium

The Bangladeshi partner joining APM Terminals under the public-private partnership with the Chattogram Port Authority.

Timeline

June 2021 2030 (t

5 events Latest: August 30th, 2026 · 1 week ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

2030 (t
Terminal commissioning
Upcoming Target

Laldia is scheduled to begin commercial operations, adding 800,000 TEUs of capacity to Chattogram port.
2030 (target)
August 2026
Groundbreaking at Laldia Char
Latest Construction

An 11am ceremony marks the official start of construction on Bangladesh's first greenfield container terminal.
August 30th, 2026
April 2026
Land handed over to APM Terminals
Milestone

The port authority transfers the Laldia Char site to APM Terminals, clearing the way for construction.
April 22nd, 2026
November 2025
Concession signed with APM Terminals
Deal

The Chattogram Port Authority signs a 30-year concession with APM Terminals during the interim government's tenure.
November 17th, 2025
June 2021
Bangladesh and Denmark sign G2G agreement
Agreement

The two governments agree to develop a container terminal at Laldia, opening the door for Danish port investment.
June 2021

Scenarios

Laldia terminal opens on schedule in 2030

Likely Resolves by End of 2030

Discussed by: APM Terminals and the Chattogram Port Authority; the Financial Express reports a three-to-four-year construction schedule.

Construction proceeds through 2029: jetty piling, yard paving, crane installation, and channel works. The terminal begins commercial operations in 2030 as planned, adding 800,000 TEUs of capacity and taking ships of up to 6,000 TEUs.

Construction delays push opening past 2030

Possible Resolves by End of 2030

Discussed by: World Cargo News and the Financial Express note the 2026-2030 build window; the airport's crane-height limit and river-channel conditions are the known engineering constraints.

Site conditions at Laldia Char, a river island at the mouth of the Karnaphuli, complicate piling and dredging. The terminal's announced opening slips to 2031 or later, delaying the capacity boost for exporters.

Government review alters the concession

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Groups campaigning to protect the port, reported by the Financial Express and Sarabangla, have called for the agreement to be reviewed in the public interest.

Political pressure leads the government to open a formal review of the concession. The review produces renegotiated terms — higher per-container fees to the port authority, a shorter concession, or new local-ownership requirements — or, in the extreme, cancellation.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 1999

South Asia Gateway Terminals, Colombo (1999)

Sri Lanka's first privately built container terminal opened at Colombo port, constructed by a consortium including P&O Ports and John Keells Holdings under a 30-year build-operate-transfer deal.

Then

SAGT added modern capacity that helped Colombo defend its position as South Asia's main transshipment hub.

Now

Private terminals are now standard at Colombo, and the model spread across the region.

Why this matters now

Laldia is Bangladesh's first use of this model — foreign-built terminal infrastructure on state-owned land, operated for a fixed term, then transferred back.

July 2017

Hambantota port lease (2017)

Sri Lanka built Hambantota port on its south coast with Chinese loans it could not repay. In July 2017 it sold 85% of the port to China Merchants Port Holdings for $1.12 billion under a 99-year lease.

Then

Sri Lanka reduced its debt burden and kept the port operating under Chinese management.

Now

The lease became the most cited example of sovereignty concerns over foreign port investment in South Asia and remains a domestic political issue in Sri Lanka.

Why this matters now

Laldia's protesters warn of a similar loss of control over strategic port assets. The key difference: Bangladesh keeps the land, and the concession is finite — 30 years, extendable to 45.

February 2018

Djibouti seizes Doraleh terminal (2018)

Djibouti's government unilaterally ended DP World's 30-year concession at the Doraleh Container Terminal in February 2018, after years of disputes over fees and governance, and took over operations.

Then

DP World retained a minority stake and pursued international arbitration; the terminal operates under state control.

Now

The seizure became a benchmark case on sovereign risk for foreign terminal operators.

Why this matters now

APM Terminals' 30-to-45-year horizon in Bangladesh depends on the host government honoring the deal — Doraleh shows that is not guaranteed.