As the building of the Patenga Container Terminal nears completion, AP Mller-Maersk appears to have enlisted the help of prominent apparel retailer Inditex to lobby the Bangladesh government to give Maersk the operating contract.Garment producers are the main consumers of Bangladesh’s ports and logistics industry, and apparel is Bangladesh’s main source of foreign currency, with more than $30 billion in exports, making it the world’s second-largest garment exporter.
Inditex imports more than $1.3 billion in garment-related products from Bangladesh each year, making it a major player in the country. It recently sent a letter to the government officials in charge of awarding the Patenga Terminal contract, pushing them to give the contract to Maersk.
The $240 million container port with a capacity of 0.5 million teu and a length of 600 meters is being built on 32 acres. It will be able to accommodate vessels up to 10.5 meters in length with a 4,500-teu carrying capacity, three 190-meter vessels at a time, and a 220-meter oil tanker.Other international bidders for the facility include Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Gateway Terminal and Dubai’s DP World, as well as local private sector port operators.
