There is no more waiting or complexity; Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Patenga Container Terminal officially on November 14. She will also inaugurate the Elevated Expressway, which cost more than Tk 4,000 crore on the same day.
For the first time in the country’s history, the Saudi Arabian company, Red Sea Gateway Terminal, will operate the Patenga Container Terminal. Officials familiar with the matter have stated that all formalities for the terminal’s inauguration in Chittagong Port have advanced after the signing of the agreement with the Saudi organization Red Sea Gateway on November 14. However, due to new plans, the Prime Minister will inaugurate it through a video conference.
Nevertheless, directions have been given to the port authorities for the signing of the agreement with the organization before the terminal’s inauguration. The terminal, constructed at a cost of nearly Tk 2,000 crore in the estuary of Karnaphuli and the Bay of Bengal, was completed over a year ago. The operational activities of this terminal were stuck in the complexity of whether it should be operated by a local or foreign organization.
On the same day, she will also inaugurate Chittagong’s only Elevated Expressway. The construction cost of this 16-kilometer-long Elevated Expressway, from Patenga to Lal Khan Bazar, is over Tk 4,500 crore. The construction work of this Expressway began in 2019. The work on this will be completed by June 2024. Nevertheless, the first phase will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the operation of the 18 ramps will be completed by next year. Recently, the need for an Elevated Expressway was felt for quick transportation through the Karnaphuli River tunnel.
According to the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Chief Engineer Hasan Bin Shams said, “We will complete the work of the 18 ramps by June next year. Through the Elevated Expressway, people will be able to come to the city from Shah Amanat Airport in just 20 minutes.”
Additionally, the new Patenga Container Terminal can accommodate three ships simultaneously in its three jetties. Container handling will exceed 500,000 TEUs annually, and the Elevated Expressway will significantly reduce travel time to Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport, making it a 20-minute journey.
