In brief
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Nov. 6 in southwestern Bangladesh to launch a China‑financed expansion of Mongla Port. According to Xinhua, the project—executed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation—will add two 20,000‑DE container berths, modernize the port’s digital and operational facilities, and boost annual capacity to 350,000 TEUs, creating jobs and enhancing regional trade.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the inauguration of a China‑financed expansion of Mongla Port in southwestern Bangladesh. The ceremony was attended by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tariq Rahman and representatives of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation’s subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation.
Prime Minister Rahman said the project would enhance the port’s service capacity, lower logistics costs, and increase investment and employment in the region. He highlighted the longstanding friendship and mutual respect that underpin Bangladesh’s cooperation with China.
Dai Hegen, chairman of the China Railway Construction Corporation, pledged that the company would pursue green construction practices and work with local partners to ensure high‑quality project implementation, and to transform Mongla Port into a modern maritime hub for the Bay of Bengal and the wider South Asian region.
Song Yang, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, stressed that the expansion represents an important achievement in practical cooperation between the two countries, and would digitally upgrade, modernize, and specialize the port’s operations to improve overall service capacity and efficiency.
The project, as described by the contractor, involves the construction of two 20,000‑deadweight-ton container berths, supporting container yards, auxiliary facilities, and the procurement and installation of 49 sets of port‑handling equipment. It is designed to handle an estimated 350,000 twenty‑foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year, and is slated for completion within 42 months.
