Experts Flag ‘Major Gaps’ in Laldia Port Deal

Several port experts and economists on Saturday raised concerns over what they described as “ambiguities and risks” in the government’s newly signed agreement with a Danish company for developing the Laldia terminal in Chattogram.Speaking at a seminar titled “Foreign Investment in Chattogram Port: Is Bangladesh on the Right Track?” organised by the think tank Voice for Reform, participants said the project appears promising on the surface but could become “harmful” for Bangladesh if the agreement contains structural weaknesses.Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association President Anam Chowdhury said the interim government seems to be repeating the mistakes made by the previous Awami League administration during the development of Payra Port.“The government has not clarified anything about dredging. Even the vessel measurement parameters provided appear inconsistent. Payra Port struggled mainly due to dredging issues — Laldia could face a similar fate,” he warned.Jyoti Rahman, Applied Macroeconomist at Australian National University, said while complete ...

• 22 Nov 2025