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Govt plans deep seaport to perk up trade

Committee works on preliminary regional co-opn formula, foreign investment

Rafiq Hasan
The government has taken a fresh initiative to set up a deep seaport in view of the increasing volume of foreign trade and mounting pressure on Chittagong Port.
Akram point, around 60 kilometres from Mongla Port, is suitable for the deep seaport, according to shipping ministry sources.
The government is also considering a regional approach towards implementing such a massive project, a top official said without giving more details.
"We are thinking of a regional approach to such a huge project involving several hundred crore taka because it may not be cost-effective in the perspective of our trade alone," said Shipping Secretary Zulfiqar Haidar Choudhury.
A high-powered committee headed by Director General of Shipping Ahsanul Azim is doing preliminary work to that end and taking steps to attract foreign investment for carrying out a feasibility study on the proposed port.
"Foreign investors would be attracted if we can show them the prospect for a huge volume of trade involving our neighbouring countries," Zulfiqar said.
Earlier, a feasibility study on a deep seaport, conducted during the Awami League rule, suggested Moheshkhali in Cox's Bazar as an ideal place. However, no further progress was made in this regard.
This time, the government is considering Akram point for the proposed port in the perspective of a regional approach, said the sources.
The distance between Dhaka and Mongla is about 90 kilometres, less than that between Dhaka and Chittagong.
Bangla Bandh border checkpoint in Panchagarh district will be opened soon for trade by road between Bangladesh and Nepal, they added.
A direct road link with Nepal and Bhutan will be established after completion of Rupsha and Padma bridges. Rupsha bridge is likely to be complete by the end of next year. Steps are underway to construct a bridge on the Padma at Pakshi.
A senior official said the shipping ministry will also apprise the prime minister of the necessity of shifting Mongla Port to Akram point.
Meanwhile, steps have been taken to gear up the activities of Mongla Port. Non-arrival of foreign ships at the port greatly affects it.
The port authorities have submitted a project proposal and also sought Tk 12 crore for a golden handshake programme to slash the number of dock workers to 1,200 from around 4,000.
Frequent hartal and strikes by dock workers harmed port activities, sources pointed out.