Projects galore to beef up capacities of two seaports

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Nazmul Ahsan
The government has taken up a number of projects to upgrade the infrastructure and other relevant facilities of Chittagong and Mongla seaports at a cost of about $700 million to cope with the future increase in their workloads.
The up-gradation work has been taken up keeping in view the possible rise in the inflow and outflow of goods of sub-regional countries, including India, Bhutan and Nepal, through the ports.
The implementation of a total of 26 big and small development projects have already begun. These projects are expected to be completed by June 2013. Five other big projects, to be approved soon, will be completed by June 2019, official sources said.
Most of the development projects will be financed from the own source of Chittagong and Mongla port authorities, officials said.
The efficiency level of the ports would be greatly enhanced after the completion of the development projects, a high official in the Ministry of Shipping (MoS) said.
"The entire picture of the local economy would be radically changed with the completion of all development projects taken up for the Chittagong and Mongla ports," MD Mannan Hawlader, Secretary, MoS, told the FE.
"Both the ports will be able to cope with the increased export and import activities because of the use of our ports by other sub-regional countries," he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to India in January this year assured the Indian Prime Minister of allowing his country to use the facilities of the Chittagong and Mongla seaports for the movement of goods to and from India through road and rail routes.
'It was agreed that Bangladesh will allow the use of Mongla and Chittagong sea ports for movement of goods to and from India through road and rail. Bangladesh also conveyed their intention to give Nepal and Bhutan the access to Mongla and Chittagong ports,' reads the joint communiqué, signed between the prime ministers of the two countries.
Chittagong Port is the principal seaport of Bangladesh handling about 92 per cent of import-export trade of the country.
Officials said the construction of Karnaphuli container terminal at a cost of $117 million is expected to be completed by June 2013. The installation of container terminal management system at a cost of $8.70 million will be completed by June 2011. The construction of New Mooring container terminal at a cost of $ 14 million is expected to be completed by March 2012 and construction of container handling facilities for transit cargo handling at a cost of $21 million will be completed by December 2010.
Furthermore, the procurement of one floating crane at a cost of $35.70 million and one high-powered tugboat at a cost of $8.60 million is likely to be completed by June 2011.
Besides, the construction of a truck terminal at a cost of $2.86 million and construction of multi-storied one-stop service centre at a cost of $2.60 million will be completed by June next year, it is learnt.
A Chittagong port official said the development of warehousing and distribution park project and relocation of customs auction shed project will be completed soon at a cost of $ 7.0 million and $3.0 million respectively.
As far as improvement and development of Mongla port is concerned a total of six projects have been undertaken to improve its efficiency, sources said. Of the six, four projects are being implemented while two other projects have recently been approved.
The ongoing projects of Mongla port-procurement of cargo handling project (cost of $3.30 million) and navigational aids project (cost of $ 3.30 million) are to be completed by June next year.
The project, 'Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Infrastructure and Other Facilities Damaged by Cyclone SIDR-2007' will be completed by June this year and Dredging at the Outer Bar in Pasur Channel will be completed by June 2013. All four projects will be implemented at a cost of $19.80 million, a shipping ministry official said.