Dismissing the reports that the government is moving towards finalizing a deal with global port operator DP World, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) executive chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun today said the interim government will not lease out the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chattogram Port during its tenure.
“DP World has asked for time. As this government has no more than two working days left, it can be stated with certainty that no port lease agreement will be signed during the interim government’s tenure,” he said at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Sunday.
Ashik said DP World sent a letter to the Chief Adviser’s Office on Sunday morning, expressing satisfaction with the discussions held so far with Bangladesh.
“They are hopeful that the negotiations will move in the right direction in the future. We have sent them a draft agreement, which they want time to review. After the election and the end of this government’s term, negotiations will resume,” he said.
He said discussions with DP World have been ongoing since 2019, with more intensive negotiations taking place over the past month at various levels of the government. “We hope the dialogue will continue in the days ahead.”
Chief Advisor's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam was present at the press conference.
MSH
