In brief
A China‑financed expansion of Bangladesh’s Mongla Port began with a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 6, adding two large container berths and digital upgrades. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the project will cut logistics costs, create jobs and strengthen ties with China. The 42‑month effort includes 49 sets of port‑handling equipment and aims to make the port a modern maritime hub for the Bay of Bengal.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Nov. 6 at Bangladesh’s Mongla Port, marking the start of a China‑financed expansion that will add two 20,000‑deadweight‑ton container berths, digital upgrades and 49 sets of port‑handling equipment.
The project is expected to increase the port’s annual handling capacity to about 350,000 twenty‑foot equivalent units (TEUs) and cut logistics costs for cargo moving through the region.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the project would further enhance the port’s overall service capacity, reduce logistics costs, boost investment and employment, and promote economic development in the country’s southwestern region.
Dai Hegen, chairman of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, said the company would pursue green construction practices and strengthen cooperation with local partners to ensure high‑quality project implementation, helping transform Mongla Port into a modern maritime hub connecting the Bay of Bengal and serving the wider South Asian region.
Song Yang, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, said the project represents an important achievement in practical cooperation between the two countries.
According to the contractor, the expansion will include the construction of two 20,000‑deadweight‑ton container berths, supporting container yards and auxiliary facilities, and the procurement and installation of 49 sets of port‑handling equipment, with a contractual construction period of 42 months.
