A key government official last week visited Matarbari in Moheshkhali upazila of Cox's Bazar to get an idea whether the area can be selected for the proposed deep-sea port, sources said.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Deep-Sea Port Cell Captain Shariful Ahsan last week visited the proposed site and discussed the issue with people concerned, they added.
During his visit, he also checked the land records of the proposed site.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) last month decided to examine the possibility of selecting Matarbari as an alternative site for the much-talked-about deep-sea port. Earlier, Sonadia was selected as the site for the proposed port.
Sources said the officials of Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd (CPGCBL), the executing agency of 1,200 megawatt coal-fired power plant project at Matarbari, also visited the site last week. The proposed site for deep-sea port at Matarbari is close to the power plant site. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding the power plant project.
Officials said as Japanese companies would be engaged in power plant construction at Matarbari, the government might seek funds from JICA for the construction of the deep-sea port.
Principal Secretary of PMO Abul Kalam Azad told the FE earlier that a fresh feasibility study would be conducted before constructing a deep-sea port. The decision was taken since the previous feasibility study carried out in 2006 had become obsolete, he said.
"When the feasibility study was conducted in 2006, the present sea area was not under our control. The victory has opened new windows for us. So, we need to redesign the proposed deep-sea port considering latest needs," Mr. Azad said.
A fresh study would be done, incorporating various facilities which were not included in the previous one, he added.
Pacific Consultant International (PCI), a Japanese firm, had found Sonadia Island suitable for the construction of a deep-sea port.
A study, conducted by PCI nearly eight years back, suggested that at first stage, the port should have five international standard jetties with the capacity of handling 704.01 million tonnes of containers a year. The construction cost was then estimated at Tk 600 billion.
While conducting the study, officials said, the PCI did not consider inclusion of coal, oil, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) jetties in the deep-sea port.
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