CCCI president puts accent on establishing deep sea port
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Pankaj Dastider
President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Murshed Murad Ibrahim has highlighted the need to establish a deep sea port at Sonadia Island of the Bay of Bengal to the southwest of the country. "A mega port along the Chittagong coastline serving Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, eastern India, Myanmar and southwestern China should be built on a priority basis to accelerate the economic development of the country," Mr Murshed Murad Ibrahim told The Financial Express on the occasion of its 18th founding anniversary in an interview. Mr Ibrahim, son of a traditional business family in the port city, also emphasized on establishing connectivity with the neighbouring countries including Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, India and Yunan province of West China to harness the economic benefit through the regional cooperation. There are ample opportunities for the regional countries to use the Chittagong Port as only 60 per cent of the port's facilities is now used while 40 per cent remains unutilized, he said quoting a joint Indo-Bangladesh survey in the year 2002. Pointing to the port problems he said that the exporters of Bangladesh are paying huge amount of money more than the usual cost for every single vessel coming to the port. So it is the infrastructure in the port jetties and berths that needs to be focused. He said, unlike other premier trade bodies of the country, the CCCI has constructed the country's first ever World Trade Centre which will be a potential commercial hub for entrepreneurs from home and abroad. A total of 14 floors of the giant infrastructure of 24-storey WTC Complex worth about Tk 1.27 billion on an area of 75 kathas of land at the city's commercial hub Agrabad have been completed with a four-star hotel from the 9th to the 20th floor while those from the 1sr floor to the 8th will house the WTC Complex. The complex, being constructed by Concord Engineers and Construction Ltd, will have all other arrangements of global standard including a grand banquet hall, a special restaurant, fitness centre, permanent and temporary exhibition halls, convention centre, conference hall, tennis court, snooker and billiard rooms, banks, media centre, IT zone, swimming pool, a helipad on the rooftop and a huge parking space in the basements for some 450 vehicles. Mr Ibrahim said Chittagong Chamber is likely to shift to the WTO Complex by March 2012 when it will be formally opened. All interior decorations and electrical fittings have almost completed and electricity and gas connections will be completed before February 2012, he added. He said Chittagong is the real economic lifeline of Bangladesh. Major earnings for the nation come from Chittagong Port through the collection of duty and taxes. This port was renowned as a very famous port for centuries and even during the Pakistan era the Port of Chittagong was considered the main port although there was another major port in Karachi. He said, 40 years after independence of Bangladesh this strategically important region did not make infrastructure development due to difference of opinion among the political parties and politicians. This must not be the case when it comes to economic development of the country because a country grows with its economy. However, in the recent times some schemes for development have been taken up through road expansion projects and flyovers construction by the CDA (Chittagong Development Authority), renovations of drains and canals by the Chittagong City Corporation and enhancement of infrastructure facilities by the Chittagong Port Authority, he added. The grand alliance government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has extended all out cooperation for the development of Chittagong as part of Vision 2021 Development Blueprint, he said. When asked about the role of the apex trade body CCCI in protecting interests of the traders, businessmen and entrepreneurs he is representing, he said the CCCI is providing innumerable services to its members, government and other concerned authorities in order to furthering the country's trade, commerce, local and foreign investment as well as bilateral ties with different countries. The CCCI delegations representing almost all trade, business and industries of the region visit different countries including the USA, EU countries, Japan, Korea, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China and Russia round the year at their own expenses to help flourish bilateral relations and explore markets for Bangladeshi products. On the other hand, trade delegations from those countries are visiting Chittagong Chamber round the year through which bilateral relations with those countries are getting strengthened expediting business linkages to ensure inflow of more foreign investment in Chittagong and other parts of the country. "Through these interactions we have got tremendous output in terms of export of our products and foreign investment as we have been able to portray the country's potential investment climate," the CCCI president said. Mr Ibrahim said the office bearers and directors of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry during their foreign business tours portray the investment potentials of Chittagong, its scenic beauty, natural port, investment friendly environment and economic benefits and above all cheap, efficient and non-efficient workforce. "In a bid to focus Chittagong as a potential and transnational investment hub globally the Chittagong Chamber is firmly resolved to provide all out efforts to extend cooperation through visiting and drawing attention of different important business spots worldwide."
President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Murshed Murad Ibrahim has highlighted the need to establish a deep sea port at Sonadia Island of the Bay of Bengal to the southwest of the country. "A mega port along the Chittagong coastline serving Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, eastern India, Myanmar and southwestern China should be built on a priority basis to accelerate the economic development of the country," Mr Murshed Murad Ibrahim told The Financial Express on the occasion of its 18th founding anniversary in an interview. Mr Ibrahim, son of a traditional business family in the port city, also emphasized on establishing connectivity with the neighbouring countries including Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, India and Yunan province of West China to harness the economic benefit through the regional cooperation. There are ample opportunities for the regional countries to use the Chittagong Port as only 60 per cent of the port's facilities is now used while 40 per cent remains unutilized, he said quoting a joint Indo-Bangladesh survey in the year 2002. Pointing to the port problems he said that the exporters of Bangladesh are paying huge amount of money more than the usual cost for every single vessel coming to the port. So it is the infrastructure in the port jetties and berths that needs to be focused. He said, unlike other premier trade bodies of the country, the CCCI has constructed the country's first ever World Trade Centre which will be a potential commercial hub for entrepreneurs from home and abroad. A total of 14 floors of the giant infrastructure of 24-storey WTC Complex worth about Tk 1.27 billion on an area of 75 kathas of land at the city's commercial hub Agrabad have been completed with a four-star hotel from the 9th to the 20th floor while those from the 1sr floor to the 8th will house the WTC Complex. The complex, being constructed by Concord Engineers and Construction Ltd, will have all other arrangements of global standard including a grand banquet hall, a special restaurant, fitness centre, permanent and temporary exhibition halls, convention centre, conference hall, tennis court, snooker and billiard rooms, banks, media centre, IT zone, swimming pool, a helipad on the rooftop and a huge parking space in the basements for some 450 vehicles. Mr Ibrahim said Chittagong Chamber is likely to shift to the WTO Complex by March 2012 when it will be formally opened. All interior decorations and electrical fittings have almost completed and electricity and gas connections will be completed before February 2012, he added. He said Chittagong is the real economic lifeline of Bangladesh. Major earnings for the nation come from Chittagong Port through the collection of duty and taxes. This port was renowned as a very famous port for centuries and even during the Pakistan era the Port of Chittagong was considered the main port although there was another major port in Karachi. He said, 40 years after independence of Bangladesh this strategically important region did not make infrastructure development due to difference of opinion among the political parties and politicians. This must not be the case when it comes to economic development of the country because a country grows with its economy. However, in the recent times some schemes for development have been taken up through road expansion projects and flyovers construction by the CDA (Chittagong Development Authority), renovations of drains and canals by the Chittagong City Corporation and enhancement of infrastructure facilities by the Chittagong Port Authority, he added. The grand alliance government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has extended all out cooperation for the development of Chittagong as part of Vision 2021 Development Blueprint, he said. When asked about the role of the apex trade body CCCI in protecting interests of the traders, businessmen and entrepreneurs he is representing, he said the CCCI is providing innumerable services to its members, government and other concerned authorities in order to furthering the country's trade, commerce, local and foreign investment as well as bilateral ties with different countries. The CCCI delegations representing almost all trade, business and industries of the region visit different countries including the USA, EU countries, Japan, Korea, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China and Russia round the year at their own expenses to help flourish bilateral relations and explore markets for Bangladeshi products. On the other hand, trade delegations from those countries are visiting Chittagong Chamber round the year through which bilateral relations with those countries are getting strengthened expediting business linkages to ensure inflow of more foreign investment in Chittagong and other parts of the country. "Through these interactions we have got tremendous output in terms of export of our products and foreign investment as we have been able to portray the country's potential investment climate," the CCCI president said. Mr Ibrahim said the office bearers and directors of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry during their foreign business tours portray the investment potentials of Chittagong, its scenic beauty, natural port, investment friendly environment and economic benefits and above all cheap, efficient and non-efficient workforce. "In a bid to focus Chittagong as a potential and transnational investment hub globally the Chittagong Chamber is firmly resolved to provide all out efforts to extend cooperation through visiting and drawing attention of different important business spots worldwide."