The government has given a green signal to engaging Bangladesh Navy in the Mongla-Ghasiakhali river channel dredging work under the direct purchase method to ensure quality of the work, officials said.
The ministry of shipping (MoS) recently approved a proposal of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to engage Navy in the much-talked-about dredging work.
The 31-km-long Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel has been remaining closed since 2011 due to poor navigability, forcing vessels to ply through the Shela river in the Sundarbans. An oil-tanker, carrying 358,000 litres of furnace oil, sank in the river on December 9 last, posing a threat to flora and fauna of the mangrove forest.
Officials said nearly 22 kilometres of the channel needed capital dredging to make the route fit for plying of vessels.
In mid-January last the cabinet committee gave its go-ahead to the China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd to dredge 10 km of the Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel at a cost of Tk 880 million.
The company has so far brought one dredger, although it is supposed to bring four dredgers for the work.
Sources said to speed up the dredging work the BIWTA in mid-January proposed engaging Navy in the work. However, the MoS rejected the proposal saying that engaging Navy in the work, for which the work order was already given, would not be possible.
However, the BIWTA again requested the MoS to allow Navy in the dredging work. On February 8 the ministry approved the proposal of engaging Navy in the work conditionally under the direct purchase method.
When contacted BIWTA chairman Dr Samsuddoha Khondaker told the FE on Thursday that Bangladesh Navy was being engaged in river dredging under a BIWTA arrangement for the first time.
Asked whether Navy has any previous experience of river dredging, he said it possessed expertise in many areas. The river dredging experience would be another asset for the organisation.
"Navy has started collecting dredgers for the work," he said.
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