The Mongla Port Authority (MPA) is set to take up a Tk 3.0 billion dredging project to ensure the movement of big vessels and increase the navigability of the Pashur River and harbour channels aiming to make the port more vibrant.
"Ships with 9-metre draught will be allowed in the port on completion of the project," said Shipping Secretary Shafique Alam Mehdi.
The project is now awaiting approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
At present, large vessels from different countries cannot enter the port due to poor navigability in the Pashur Channel connected with the Bay of Bengal in the Sundarbans areas.
"Once the project is completed, big vessels with 9-metre draught would be able to easily enter the port," said Mr Mehdi.
Now the channel allows vessels up to 6.5-metre draught to use the port. The port authority is also implementing another project worth about Tk 1.06 billion for dredging the Pashur channel to allow ships with 7.5-metre draught.
"Currently about 350 ships/vessels arrive in the port per year. After completion of the project, it will help increase the number of ships as well as revenue earnings annually," said another official of the Ministry of Shipping.
Port sources said the incumbent government has given priority to the development of Mongla Port and has taken up eight development projects and four programmes at a cost of Tk 5.51 billion. Of them, five projects along with the four programmes have already been completed and three others are underway.
The government has decided to develop the port to ease pressure on Chittagong Port and meet the growing demand for the region, especially after implementation of the Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) recently signed by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIB).
The port authority also decided to turn the Mongla-Dhaka highway into a four-lane road to facilitate transportation of goods to and from Dhaka and Chittagong after completion of the Padma Bridge.
It has already taken up a project titled 'Navigational aids to Mongla Port' at a cost of Tk 875.6 million to procure various equipment such as mounted mobile cranes, rail mounted/ portal cranes, heavy duty forklift trucks to help load and unload consignments. The Indian government also approved Tk 1.04 billion Line of Credit (LOC) for development of the Port.
"To assist the movement of seagoing vessels in the channel, the port authority has installed 62 buoys, two beacons, six light towers with lanterns and anchors," according to a port document. Crane boat, houseboat, floater pipe and cutter suction dredger were collected to help keep dredging intact.
Meanwhile, the port authority has taken an initiative to reconstruct two jetties -- Jetty No 3 and 4 -- which have been lying incomplete for four decades. A joint venture company has shown interest to rebuild the two jetties to load and unload foreign and local ships under PPP (Public Private Partnership).
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry has already held 10 meetings and discussed issues relating to development of the port, the country's second largest seaport.
Chaired by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, the 10th meeting of the advisory committee also stressed the need for implementing short, medium and long-term development projects and ensuring navigable space to bring disciplines in anchoring activities of commercial ships in Harbaria area in the Sundarbans.
If the projects are completed accordingly with proper development of road infrastructures, sources said, the port can emerge as a regional maritime hub serving Nepal, Bhutan and India.
Situated at the confluence of Pashur and Mongla rivers, it lies about 100 km north of the Bay of Bengal and is connected to the major inland river ports and rail terminal in Khulna. Along with Kolkata and Haldia ports in India, Mongla and Chittagong in Bangladesh are main seaports in the Ganges delta.
The port has trade links with almost all major ports across the world, although vessels arriving here are mostly from Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Europe and North America. Ships rarely come to Mongla from the countries of Latin America or Africa.
The port's major exports include jute, leather, tobacco, frozen fish and shrimp while key imports include grains, cement, fertiliser, coal and wood pulp.