Operational activities at the Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) will officially begin on Monday under Saudi operator Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT), potentially ushering in a modern era of smart and speedy port operations in the country.

It will mark the first instance of a foreign firm handling operations at a port terminal in the country.

The long wait came to an end last week when the National Board of Revenue (NBR) provided temporary approval to RSGT Bangladesh Limited, allowing them to conditionally start operational activities under the supervision of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).

CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk said the Saudi firm was set to start operations by handling cargo aboard the Maersk Davao container vessel on Monday.

The Singapore-flagged vessel, carrying 1,747 TEUs of import containers from the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia, arrived on Saturday and is berthed at jetty No. 9 of the port's General Cargo Berth (GCB).

After unloading the import containers, the vessel will berth at a jetty at the PCT on Monday, where it will be loaded with around 1,000 TEUs of export containers, including empty ones.

It will leave for Indonesia two days later, informed port officials.

Initially, only geared vessels equipped with onboard cranes can be handled at the PCT as the Saudi firm needs two more years to bring and install quayside gantry cranes.

An official of a foreign shipping firm said container handling at the PCT would be quicker and smoother as RSGT plans to receive export containers from ICDs three days prior to the arrival of ships.

Currently, several export containers reach the jetties just a few hours before ships have departed, causing hassles in the smooth stacking of containers.

Sources said around 300 TEUs of empty containers and some export-laden containers bound for the Maersk Davao had arrived at the PCT from different ICDs yesterday.

According to NBR conditions, all imported LCL (less-than-container load) containers need to be physically examined before being sent to the South Container Yard while all FCL (full container load) containers must be physically examined as per the customs risk management system until the installation of a scanner at the PCT.