Chittagong: RSGT opens $170M terminal as flood disinformation spreads
Chittagong's Patenga container terminal gained new international standing as Saudi-backed Red Sea Gateway Terminal International completed its US$170 million upgrade, more than doubling the facility's annual throughput capacity. Meanwhile, relentless monsoon rains prompted an AFP fact-check that debunked viral AI-generated images claiming to show the city's flyovers completely submerged.
🏢 Saudi-Backed RSGT Completes $170M Chittagong Terminal Upgrade
WorldCargo News reported on 20 July 2026 that Saudi-backed Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI) officially inaugurated its upgraded container terminal at Patenga in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The investment totalled US$170 million, enabling the complete overhaul and expansion of the facility. According to the report, the completed works more than doubled the terminal's annual throughput capacity, representing a transformative increase in its ability to handle container traffic. The article headline described RSGTI as targeting a US$1 billion total Bangladesh maritime investment push, with the Patenga inauguration marking a significant milestone in that broader strategy. The article's tags identified the involvement of RSGT and GENMA Solutions in the project. The concession at Chittagong is Bangladesh's first internationally-operated port concession, a landmark in the country's efforts to attract foreign logistics investment and modernize its main seaborne gateway. Chittagong handles the vast majority of Bangladesh's container exports, serving the country's garment and manufacturing sectors that employ millions of workers. The US$170 million terminal represents a significant vote of confidence in Bangladesh's trade growth trajectory and the port city's economic future. Saudi Arabia's RSGT is one of the largest port operators in the Middle East, and its entry into Bangladesh marks a strategic expansion of Gulf-backed logistics investment into South Asian maritime infrastructure. [5]
AFP Debunks AI-Generated Chittagong Flood Images Amid Real Flash Floods
AFP journalist Rasheek Mujib reported on 20 July 2026 that viral images purporting to show Chittagong's major flyover infrastructure completely submerged under floodwater were fabricated using artificial intelligence tools. The pictures were specifically flagged as having been created with Google AI tools. An AFP stringer who physically covered the flood-affected areas confirmed that actual floodwater levels in the city reached waist-height at most during periods of severe waterlogging, far short of the dramatic scenes depicted in the viral images. Relentless heavy rainfall across Bangladesh did cause multiple genuine flash floods, with both the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the port city of Chittagong among the most severely affected areas. A Bengali-language Facebook post accompanying the fabricated images carried an emotionally charged caption: 'Today, the entire city of Chittagong is going under water, yet no one is paying attention; there is no major coverage in the media, and no discussion among civil society.' While the sentiment reflected genuine public frustration with perceived media neglect of the flooding, the accompanying images were not authentic. The AFP fact-check underlines a growing challenge across South Asia of AI-generated disaster imagery spreading rapidly on social media during real emergencies, potentially distorting public perception of actual conditions and complicating relief coordination efforts on the ground. [9]
Sources: [5] WorldCargo News · [9] Yahoo