Land acquisition hitches over Matarbari port finally resolved

Issues relating to land acquisition, which put work on the Matarbari port in limbo, are finally over as the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has handed over an additional Tk87.47 crore in compensation to the Cox's Bazar district administration for land acquired as salt fields.

The CPA can now initiate the development of the port, a fast-track project funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), soon. 

On 6 February, the district administration sent a notice to landowners regarding receiving their compensations. As per rules, the district administration will start paying the money following a hearing 15 days into the notice. 

Once a single landowner receives the money, the CPA can take hold of the land at any time under the rules, according to Md Al Amin Parvej, additional deputy commissioner (revenue) of Cox's Bazar. 

Initially, the district administration marked out 283.27 acres as non-arable land. Later, the port authority paid over Tk75 crore to the district administration to be handed over to the landowners as compensation. But the land acquisition cost increased to Tk162.58 crore after the land turned out to be salt fields, following a ministerial review initiated over objections from local residents.

On 13 January, the CPA paid the additional land acquisition cost after receiving a letter from the district administration. 

Around 200 families will get Tk55 lakh in compensation per acre of land acquired as salt fields.

On 16 November 2020, the Chattogram Port Authority inaugurated the project at a press briefing at its office.

Ships with an 18.5 metre draft will be able to dock at the port once its construction is completed in mid-2025. The port will be hosting cargo carriers with a capacity of 8,000-10,000 containers. The initial design of the deep seaport supports 8 lakh containers per year, while the capacity could be enhanced further with additional jetties.

Currently, 92% of the country's trade is conducted through Chattogram port, which has been struggling to cope with the growing volume of trade by sea.

Bay Terminal now faces uncertainty over land acquisition

The Bay terminal has now hit a stumbling block with new difficulties stemming from the exorbitant costs of acquiring 803 acres of khas land as proposed by the district administration.

In June last year, the land ministry directed the Chattogram deputy commissioner to hand over 803 acres of government khas land to the shipping ministry at a nominal price. But on 30 January, the district administration in a letter demanded the full price, amounting to Tk3,600crore, within 120 days for the land. 

In this context, the following day the CPA wrote a letter to the shipping ministry, stating that it is not possible for it to come up with so much money.

Rear Admiral M Shahjahan, chairman of the CPA, told TBS, "We have informed the shipping ministry, asking it to give us the land at a nominal price. The ministry is working on it. Transferring khas land from one ministry to another is not supposed to cost money."

Ehsan Murad, assistant commissioner of Chattogram district administration, could not be contacted for comments despite several attempts to speak to him by phone.

The Port Bay Terminal project will be constructed on the sea coast of PatengaHalishahar area, 6 kilometres from Chattogram port.

Once the terminal is built, it will be possible to berth ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 containers. The new terminal will be able to accommodate ships up to 12 metres deep and 280 metres long. There will be no need to rely on tides for ships to be anchored.

Apart from 871 acres of private and government land, the terminal is expected to be built on 2,500 acres, including another 1,600 acres reclaimed from the sea. The terminal is expected to become operational in 2024.