Govt to appoint consultant for deep sea port design

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FE Report
The government is going to appoint a consultant to design the planned deep sea port at Sonadia to cater to the needs of growing demand for trade.
The project will be completed in three phases and the consultant will be appointed for completion of the first phase work, slated for completion by 2015-16, said an official of the Shipping Ministry.
The phase one consists of construction of two breakwaters approximately 1.95 kilometres and 2.25 kilometres long and a dredged channel of 3.7 kilometres with 400 metres wide and 14 metres deep, he said.
"There will be a basin of approximately 25 hectres of land and the port will have nine berths and terminal facilities," he said adding, "The port must be designed in such a way that it can handle sea going vessels up to 14 metres draught and 300 metres length."
The deep sea port will be connected with 40 kilometres road and rail track will also be running parallel to the road, the official said, adding, "The project will be completed over a period five years."
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has sought $1.2 billion assistance from China to build the port.
The port is expected to have the capacity to handle 3.0 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and bulk cargo of 100 million tonnes.
The expected project costs is about Tk 150 billion and 30 per cent of it will be provided by the government and the rest from different foreign sources.
The port has the potential to become a major hub in the region by offering services to Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, Myanmar and the northeastern region of India.
Pacific Consultants International (PCI) of Japan submitted a detailed study report on the feasibility of the deep-sea port in April.
The first phase of the deep-sea port, to be completed by 2016, will have two harbours of nine 300-metre (long) jetties along with the required infrastructure and back-up facilities, the PCI study report said.
The second phase, to be completed by 2035, would see two more harbours with the same specifications. The deep-sea port would have six harbours when the third phase is completed by 2055.