Govt rejects operator appointment proposal for six Ctg Port berths, orders fresh tender

The government has declined to approve a proposal to appoint operators for six berths at Chattogram Port’s General Cargo Berth (GCB), prompting the shipping ministry to restart the process through a fresh tender.

The proposal, submitted by the shipping ministry for implementation by the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), was placed before the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase on 22 July.

Instead of approving it, the committee returned the proposal and instructed the ministry to review the tender before inviting fresh bids. The Cabinet Division has not disclosed the reason for the decision.

Following the decision, the shipping ministry on 29 July formed a seven-member high-level committee to examine the previous tender process and recommend the framework for a new bidding process.

According to an office order, the committee will be chaired by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. Its members include the ministers of shipping, law, and social welfare, as well as the shipping secretary, the CPA chairman and a joint secretary of the ministry.

CPA officials said 12 companies had participated in the tender for cargo handling operations at six GCB berths, with 11 qualifying in the technical evaluation. 

After assessing the financial bids, the Tender Evaluation Committee recommended appointing one operator for each berth for a five-year term. The combined value of the six recommended contracts was Tk264.05 crore.

Ruhul Amin and Brothers was recommended for Berth 2 at Tk44.02 crore, AW Khan and Company for Berth 3 at Tk43.99 crore, United Trading Company for Berth 4 at Tk44.01 crore, Cosmos Enterprise for Berth 5 at Tk44 crore, Four Jewel Stevedoring Syndicate for Berth 7 at Tk44 crore, and Pancharag Udayan Sangstha for Berth 8 at Tk44.02 crore.

The appointment of new berth operators has been delayed since the contracts of the six existing operators expired. To select new operators, the CPA invited tenders under the one-stage, two-envelope method. The Tender Evaluation Committee subsequently recommended the lowest responsive bidder for each of the six berths.