Dhaka, April 22 -- Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has clarified that while the government has no plans to hand over the entirety of Chittagong Port to foreign entities, both local and international firms are eligible to be appointed as terminal operators.

Responding to a query from BNP lawmaker Shahadat Hossain from Lakshmipur-1 in parliament on Wednesday, the minister explained that terminal management follows a structured framework where foreign expertise is considered under public-private partnership (PPP) or government-authorised models.

"There is a provision to appoint operators to run the port's terminals," Rabiul said.

"In that structure, both domestic and foreign operators can work."

In November, the Muhammad Yunus-led i...