State Minister Khalid refutes foreign media claims of India managing Mongla Port

• Mongla Port Authority is managing the port
• India is doing development work under LOC
• China also keen on taking part in development process of Mongla port

File photo of State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury. Photo: Collected

Ali Asif Shawon

Publish : 28 Jul 2024 Bhaka Tribune

State Minister of Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday said that the government will decide later who will manage Mongla port once the development works are completed.

He made the statement at the secretariat during a discussion with journalists, addressing international media reports claiming that Bangladesh has granted operational rights of Mongla port to India.

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said: “India is involved in development works at Mongla port through a line of credit (LOC) in collaboration with Bangladesh. This does not mean that India is operating Mongla port.”

He compared the situation to Chittagong port, where a container terminal at Patenaga is currently operated by Red Sea Gateway under a PPP agreement.

“We have not yet decided who will operate Matarbari port, Mongla port, and Payra port. Potential operators could include our Chittagong port, Mongla port, Payra port, or any foreign operator. We have already discussed with several international operators, including Maersk, APM, DP World, Adani, and others,” the minister added.

In response to a question, he said: “We will not make any deals secretly; we will announce the deal formally.”

He also mentioned an upgrade plan for Mongla port involving China, which has not been finalized yet, while the work with India has already started. This may have led some international media to incorrectly report that India has been granted port operations. “The fact is Indian contractors are undertaking development works, and Mongla port itself is managing the port,” he clarified.

Recently, some Chinese and Indian media reported that India has secured operational rights for a terminal at Mongla port, claiming it as a strategic victory over China. According to these reports, the terminal will be managed by Indian Port Global Limited (IPGL).

Currently, China is actively involved in at least 17 Indian Ocean ports, directly contributing to the construction of 13 of them. India aims to enhance its influence over key maritime locations on both the western and eastern sides of the Indian Ocean and strengthen its role in regional security.