Matarbari Deep Sea Port in Cox’s Bazar is expected to become operational by 2029, enabling the country to receive large container and cargo vessels directly for the first time, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has said.

The minister disclosed the information in response to a written question from Md Nurul Islam, MP for Chapainawabganj-3, during the parliamentary question-and-answer session on Monday (13 July).

Minister Rabiul Alam said the port would accommodate container ships of up to 8,200 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and cargo vessels of around 100,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT).

He noted that Bangladesh’s existing seaports lack sufficient depth to handle large mother vessels, forcing most import and export cargo to be transhipped through regional ports such as Singapore, Colombo and Malaysian ports before reaching the country on feeder vessels. This increases both costs and transit times.

The minister said Matarbari would feature a 16-metre-deep navigation channel and a modern container terminal, allowing vessels with nearly four times the capacity of those currently calling at Chattogram Port to berth directly. This is expected to reduce dependence on foreign transhipment hubs and improve the speed and efficiency of cargo handling.

Rabiul Alam added that the government is also pursuing direct shipping links with Europe, the United States and the Middle East, while expanding Chattogram Port through the Bay Terminal and Patenga Container Terminal projects and further digitalising port operations.