With an aim to expand its footprint in Bangladesh, Danish shipping company Maersk Bangladesh has partnered with ISATL (Ispahani Summit Alliance Terminals Limited) to build a 2,00,000sqft custom bonded warehouse in Chattogram.
Maersk is strengthening its operations in Bangladesh, where it has served the country’s exporters to connect to the global market for almost three decades, according to a press release.
ISATL are pioneers in constructing and operating warehouses and CFS (container freight stations) and operate four CFS within Chattogram and the river terminal in Dhaka.
Under the scope of the partnership, ISATL will construct a brand new custom bonded warehouse within the existing premises of the facility located at Pathortoli in Chattogram.
The new warehouse will double the existing capacity at ISATL and add around 8 per cent additional space to the existing ecosystem in Chattogram.
The construction of the new CFS has already commenced and is expected to be completed in phases by the end of 2022.
Maersk Bangladesh Managing Director Angshuman Mustafi said, “Maersk’s commitment to connect and simplify our customers’ supply chains means that we look at long term solutions for problems such as the longstanding congestion within the ecosystem. We tackled the situation in 2021 by deploying an additional vessel for evacuating export loaded containers.
“The solutions provided immediate relief to the ecosystem, but there was a need for a comprehensive solution to optimise ocean shipping, port handling and inland logistics that would benefit trade in the long term.”
He added, “By partnering with ISALT, we are establishing a facility that has the potential to partially decongest the system from the landside and streamline the flow of cargo in and out of Bangladesh.”
Apart from adding capacity, the facility will offer several other benefits to Bangladesh’s exports. Amongst others, the new facility is being built by benchmarking international best practices when it comes to safety and other compliance guidelines.
It will be a modern multi-storeyed facility which will have storage at G+2 levels, thus making optimal use of available space to maximise the capacity, read the release.
Maersk will also offer customers Garment on Hanger facility, sorting, product audit, labelling, bar code and RFID scanning amongst others.
ISATL Managing Director Yasser Rizvi said, “We are proud to partner with Maersk on this exciting long term project where ISATL’s extensive local experience combined with Maersk’s international best practices will allow us to create a truly world-class facility that will help raise the standards for the entire industry.”
