CHATTOGRAM, Sept 11: The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) handed over on Tuesday a cheque for Tk 3.5262 billion to the district administration for acquiring land for the construction of Bay Terminal along Halishahar coast.
Chairman of the CPA Commodore Zulfiquer Aziz handed over the cheque to Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Md Ilyas Hossain at a programme organised at Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View in the evening.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan attended the function as the chief guest while business leaders, port users, representatives and senior government officials were present.
Presided over by CPA Chairman Zulfiquer Aziz, it was addressed by Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, member of standing committee on shipping ministry MA Latif MP, CDA Chairman Abdus Salam and president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mahbubul Alam as the special guests.
They termed this occasion of land acquisition a historic moment for the businesses and also a giant step for staring the work on Bay Terminal which, if goes into operation, will enhance the port's cargo handling capacity fourfold from its present capacity.
In his address, the shipping minister said Chittagong Port has made tremendous advancement in cargo handling and the port's infrastructure and equipment over the last 10 years as the prime minister has always given priority to development of the port.
Over the last 10 years, the port increased handling of containers from 1.7 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent unit) to 2.8 million TEUs alongside doubling the yard facilities.
Ten years ago, the port had a reserve fund of Tk 3.50 billion, but now the port's reserve fund has stood at over Tk 140.00 billion. It was 98th among 100 major ports of the world at that time, but now the port's position in the world is 70th.
The CPA chairman said the money handed over to the DC will be distributed among the owners of 67 acres of land in the private sector for the acquisition of land for Bay Terminal.
He said Bay Terminal, consisting of two container berths and a multipurpose berth, will be constructed on 907 acres of land in its final step to enhance the cargo handling capacity of Chittagong Port, the prime seaport of the country.
Of the total, 68 acres of land are owned by local residents while 839 acres of land are government land.
The government has already approved a proposal for acquisition of private land and the local district administration has also started the process of land acquisition by preparing a field book which has been sent to the land ministry in Dhaka.
As soon as the DC hands over 68 acres of land to the CPA, the construction work of delivery yard and truck terminal will start on the Bay Terminal site, said the CPA chairman.
The design work for the construction of delivery yard and truck terminal has been completed, he added.
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