State minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud said that no terminal of Mongla port was given to any private company to operate.
Earlier, a number of Indian media reported that a terminal of the Mongla port, the second largest sea port in Bangladesh, would be operated by an Indian company.
Citing an anonymous top official from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways of India, the media reports said Indian Port Global Limited would operate the terminal of Mongla port which has notable implications for the regional dynamics, especially for China.
However, Khalid Mahmud dismissed such development calling those media reports baseless.
On Sunday, the minister told 抖阴精品 at his secretariat office that the Mongla port authority operated all its terminals.
No private operator has been appointed to run any terminal of the of the sea port, he added.
Asked whether any step should be taken to protest at such false information, the state-minister said that he would not swallow the bait.
An Indian newspaper also said the terminal operation right was a strategic win against China expanding its presence in the Indian Ocean region by injecting huge capital and securing key infrastructure.
State minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud said India had been providing loan under the line of credit to construct infrastructures at the port.
Besides, Dhaka has already agreed to allow Indian transshipment cargos to use the terminal facility both at Mongla and Chattorgram ports.
Indian companies are present at Mongla port, but they are not linked with the operation of terminal, said the state minister for shipping.
Describing the current operation of port in Chattogram and the growing interest by global port operators to win operational rights on terminals, he said the government welcomed private parties who are interested about operating terminal at Mongla too.
A container terminal at Patenaga under the Chittagong port is currently operated by Red Sea Gateway under a Private-Public-Partnership agreement, he added.
The state minister said the Chinese companies were also interested to construct terminals at Mongla port through financing projects.
A project under the Chinese loans is now under approval process, he added.
