Three years after Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) took over operations, the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) is still underperforming due to infrastructure gaps and operational weaknesses, according to a post-completion evaluation by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED).The report found that key equipment, including sufficient gantry cranes, has not been fully installed, while only two of the planned three jetties are operational. One jetty cannot accommodate large container vessels. The absence of a fully integrated automated system linking customs, security, and port management has further reduced efficiency.
As a result, the terminal currently handles only 200,000–240,000 TEUs annually, far below the original target of 450,000 TEUs. Financial performance has also fallen short, with both the cost-benefit ratio and internal rate of return significantly below projections.
IMED also raised concerns over delayed project completion, cost inconsistencies, procurement irregularities, and weak oversight. It recommended an urgent, internationally standard master plan to modernise Chattogram Port by integrating both banks of the Karnaphuli River.
