Chittagong Dry Dock Limited (CDDL) took over the management of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) of Chittagong Port on July 7 as per the decision of the Ministry of Shipping. Since taking over, CDDL has achieved visible progress in container handling by ensuring discipline, punctuality and efficient management in the operations of the terminal.
After CDDL took over, the average daily handling was 3,250 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in the 17 days from July 7 to 24, which is 405 TEUs or 12.10 percent more than the average of 2,845 TEUs from June 19 to July 6. During this period, Chittagong Dry Dock Limited has successfully completed the loading and unloading of containers of a total of 30 ships. Currently, cargo loading and unloading activities are ongoing on 4 ships simultaneously at Jetties 2, 3, 4 and 5 of NCT.
NCT was being operated by a private company called Saif Powertec Limited for the past 17 years. The company was dismissed after the interim government came to power due to its term expiring. The government has given the responsibility of operating NCT to the state-owned military ship repair company Chittagong Drydock Limited, which is located within the port's boundaries, until the appointment of a foreign operator. The drydock has started operations since July 6. NCT's operations are mainly being carried out under the supervision of the Navy.
Asked about the progress of NCT after taking over the drydock, Shipping Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain said, "After the drydock authorities took over the responsibility of NCT, the amount of container handling has increased by an average of 30 percent. This development will continue under the foreign operator who will be appointed in the future."
This effective role of Chittagong Drydock has accelerated the overall activities of the port, which is expected to further accelerate the country's import-export activities and also have a positive impact on the national economy. In addition, disciplined and efficient management of NCT's container handling operations will also help increase the confidence of foreign investors.
