Foreign investors are increasingly showing interest in operating existing container terminals at Chittagong Port, such as NCT, CCT, and JCB, instead of investing in new greenfield projects like Matarbari, Bay Terminal, and Laldia. Global operators including DP World and A.P. Moller-Maersk have submitted proposals to manage these ready terminals, creating a complex situation for the port authority and the ministry.

The shift in investor focus has slowed progress on major new port projects, delaying around six billion dollars in potential foreign investment. The Bay Terminal project, initiated in 2017, has seen little progress beyond design work, while Matarbari Deep Sea Port and other projects are advancing slowly despite secured funding. Meanwhile, Saudi firm Red Sea Gateway, which operates the Patenga Container Terminal, has also proposed to manage NCT despite underperforming at its current terminal.

Experts note that investors prefer ready terminals for quicker returns, while port officials maintain that each project will proceed on separate timelines. The Chittagong Port Authority has pledged to protect national interests in any future agreements.