Bangladesh Contracts ¥2.4B Loan from China for Mongla Port
On 10 October 2026, Bangladesh and China signed an agreement for the financing of the Mongla Port Project to the tune of RMB 2.4 billion (Tk 3,593C, $336M). Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance Economic Relations Division Joint Secretary Alia Meher and China Export-Import Bank (CEXIM) Assistant General Manager TIAN Fengjun signed the instrument.
The Project cost is estimated at Tk 4,068 crore and the Government of Bangladesh is contributing the remaining Rk 475 crore. The loan carries a 2% interest rate over a 20-year repayment period, with a 5-year grace period.
The Project scope includes the construction of two new container terminals fitted with modern cargo handling machinery. Upon completion, Mongla Port will have the capacity to handle up to 800,000 TEU annually.
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is the main building contractor, while China National Complete Engineering Corporation will act as the technical consultant. Construction will last a little more than two years and is expected to complete by December 2028.
Mongla Port is situated just 80 kilometers from the Indian border. In 2015, Bangladesh signed an agreement with India to develop a 110-acre piece of land into a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). In 2025, Bangladesh cancelled the deal with India, citing ‘long delays’ for implementation. Then, in June 2026, Bangladesh handed over the project to China.
Recently, DP World signed a 15-year concession agreement to modernize and operate Bangladesh’s largest Port of Chattogram (Chittagong). With the expansion, Chattogram Port is aiming for throughput of nearl 9 million TEU annually