Ashuganj river port being upgraded
Friday, 29 April 2011
Our Correspondent
BRAHMANBARIA, Apr 28: Bangladesh Government has started the process to construct a container transshipment port of international standard in Ashuganj, shipping minister Shahjahan Khan informed the journalists of print and electronics media Wednesday. In the meantime, the project profile of Ashuganj port was approved for launching the programme as soon as possible and if this project is implemented successfully, both countries, the other being India, will benefit from it, shipping minister said. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan visited the Ashuganj river port and reviewed transportation activities of Indian ODC goods Wednesday. Lawmaker of Brahmanbaria-4 Advocate Shah Alam, Director of Foreign Ministry Mehedi Hasan, Deputy Secretary of Shipping Ministry Shahidul Islam, Managing Director of Tripura Power station SK Dubay, Director of Indian ONGC company RK Madan, Divisional Revenue officer Tofail Ahmed, Director BIWTA Md Shafiqul Hoque, Manager of Indian ABC company Somnath Ganguly and high officials of communication, revenue and shipping ministry of both countries were also present. The project will be completed by 2013, but trade activities may start earlier as Ashuganj already has some infrastructure. Three international standard container terminal jetties, customs office, BIWTA office, port office, crane yard, warehouse, electricity sub-station, truck yard, rest house and other infrastructures will be implemented through this project. In the meantime, a project of Tk 2.5 billion was approved for refurbishing the 49-km road from Ashuganj to Akhaura. The government is planning to make the road suitable for the cargo shipments, a reliable source said. India will supply the equipment needed to develop the Ashuganj port to international standards. Ashuganj, in the Brahmanbaria district of Chittagong division, will become the port of call for consignments bound for its Paltana power project in Tripura. Bangladeshi goods, including cosmetics, food and beverages, toiletries, hardware and batteries, will also be exported to the northeastern territories of India via the newly commissioned port. The Ashuganj river port will become the second transshipment point for Indian cargo shipped to Tripura and beyond, to other Indian states in its northeastern region. The first transshipment point in Bangladesh opened in Sherpur, Sylhet, in 1972, but never operated, as it lacked infrastructure. Ashuganj will be the nation's fifth port of call where Indian cargoes can be unloaded or Bangladeshi products can be loaded for shipment to India. The ports of call in Bangladesh are Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Khulna, Mongla and Ashuganj. The ports of call in India are Kolkata, Haldia (West Bengal), Pandu (Guahati), Karimganj and Shilghat (Assam).
BRAHMANBARIA, Apr 28: Bangladesh Government has started the process to construct a container transshipment port of international standard in Ashuganj, shipping minister Shahjahan Khan informed the journalists of print and electronics media Wednesday. In the meantime, the project profile of Ashuganj port was approved for launching the programme as soon as possible and if this project is implemented successfully, both countries, the other being India, will benefit from it, shipping minister said. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan visited the Ashuganj river port and reviewed transportation activities of Indian ODC goods Wednesday. Lawmaker of Brahmanbaria-4 Advocate Shah Alam, Director of Foreign Ministry Mehedi Hasan, Deputy Secretary of Shipping Ministry Shahidul Islam, Managing Director of Tripura Power station SK Dubay, Director of Indian ONGC company RK Madan, Divisional Revenue officer Tofail Ahmed, Director BIWTA Md Shafiqul Hoque, Manager of Indian ABC company Somnath Ganguly and high officials of communication, revenue and shipping ministry of both countries were also present. The project will be completed by 2013, but trade activities may start earlier as Ashuganj already has some infrastructure. Three international standard container terminal jetties, customs office, BIWTA office, port office, crane yard, warehouse, electricity sub-station, truck yard, rest house and other infrastructures will be implemented through this project. In the meantime, a project of Tk 2.5 billion was approved for refurbishing the 49-km road from Ashuganj to Akhaura. The government is planning to make the road suitable for the cargo shipments, a reliable source said. India will supply the equipment needed to develop the Ashuganj port to international standards. Ashuganj, in the Brahmanbaria district of Chittagong division, will become the port of call for consignments bound for its Paltana power project in Tripura. Bangladeshi goods, including cosmetics, food and beverages, toiletries, hardware and batteries, will also be exported to the northeastern territories of India via the newly commissioned port. The Ashuganj river port will become the second transshipment point for Indian cargo shipped to Tripura and beyond, to other Indian states in its northeastern region. The first transshipment point in Bangladesh opened in Sherpur, Sylhet, in 1972, but never operated, as it lacked infrastructure. Ashuganj will be the nation's fifth port of call where Indian cargoes can be unloaded or Bangladeshi products can be loaded for shipment to India. The ports of call in Bangladesh are Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Khulna, Mongla and Ashuganj. The ports of call in India are Kolkata, Haldia (West Bengal), Pandu (Guahati), Karimganj and Shilghat (Assam).