CHAPAINAWABGANJ, Mar 16: Over Tk 5000 million revenue is expected from Sonamasjid land port in Chapainawabganj this current fiscal year.
If the Bangladesh-India governments maintain more friendly relations, more goods will be imported and exported thru this port. Its dimension of being a prosperous country, the port is keeping a vital role, expect economist Golam Mostafa.
If we can arrange insurance for the businessmen, the import-export activities will be dynamic and they will also be happy. It will even protect their families.
After the opening the second largest land port in Shahbazpur union of Shibganj upazila on December 20, 2006 in Bangladesh the whole landscape, including the socio-economic development of the border has changed.
Near the border, Shahbazpur and Daypukuria, about 5,000 day labourers of these two unions are now working at the land port to manage their family expenditure along with paying school fees of their children.
Of these, 1266 day labourers are registered inside the Panama Port Link of the Sonamasjid land port. The remaining about 3,500 workers haul various goods including fruits, wheat, maize, spices, various agricultural products, stones, coal, fuel oil in Indian and domestic trucks.
A registered worker at Baliadighi Purbpara village Samsul Haque said, "I've been working at the land port for the last few years and now I am solvent. Before working here, I used to work as a day labourer in the agricultural field." he added.
Another worker, Nazmul Hasan of Karnakhali village, said, " I have two marriageable daughters and I am earning Tk 300-400 every day." Nazmul again said, "But I was unable to feed my daughter let alone having them married off."
Senaul Islam said that before the land port was opened, most of the people in Shibganj Upazila Shahbazpur and Daipukuria Union were involved in various smuggling activities. They have left all this because their work place has been created.
Panama Port Manager Mainul Islam said a revenue target of Tk 4.71 billion (471 crore) has been set for the 2020-21 fiscal. We expect it to exceed Tk 5 billion (500 crore) as the workers are keeping a big role to make the money.
Local lawmaker Shamil Uddin Ahmed Shimul said the government has already taken initiative to build a 31-bed hospital considering the health protection of the workers. MP again said food and health care items have also been distributed during the Corona pandemic.
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