Committee holds meeting Sept 4 after 21 months

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 28: Chittagong Port Authority (CPA)'s advisory committee, which was made bigger in size recently, will hold its regular meeting after 21 months, although it is supposed to sit for a meeting after every three months.
The committee, which sat for the last time to discuss different problems and various issues related to the country's prime sea port on December 10, 2017, will hold the next meeting on September 4.
During its inception in 2010, a decision was taken that the committee would seat for a regular meeting in every three months.
The committee has been expanded on August 3 by adding half a dozen new members to it. With induction of the six, the total number of members in the CPA advisory body now stands at 60, from 54 earlier.
The state minister for shipping is the chairman of the newly-expanded advisory body while the CPA chairman will discharge his duty as member secretary, Joint Secretary of Shipping Ministry Md Abdus Sattar told the FE on Tuesday.
Officials said the first meeting of the newly-expanded advisory committee will be held on Sept 4 and the meeting will discuss various problems of the port. Recommendations for solving prevailing crisis of the port will also be prepared during the meeting, they said.
All members of the 11th Parliament elected from Chattogram, political party leaders and all other stakeholders, including government and trade organisations, representatives from Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other non-government organisations have been included in the 60-membber advisory committee, said an official.
For the first time, leaders of Bangladesh Berth Operators and Ship Handling Association have been inducted in the enlarged advisory committee, he said.
Abdus Sattar said the committee will prepare recommendations for better management of Chittagong Port. It will coordinate between the port users and the government organisations involved with the port operation.
The committee can also recommend for preparing new law for smooth port operation or amend the existing ones, he said adding "The activities of the advisory committee are very important."
CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk told the FE letters have been sent to all members of the advisory committee for the Sept 4 meeting. The CPA has also sent letters to the members requesting them to submit their written recommendations regarding the port operation.
The advisory committee of the CPA was formed in 2010 following the demands of the port users. Its first meeting was held on October 10 in that year while the last meeting was held on December 10 in 2017. Sept 4 will be the 13th meeting of the CPA advisory body since its formation in 2010. During the formation of the body, decision was taken that it would hold meeting in every three months. But the meeting was not held regularly for several years and the committee did not sit for the last 21 months.

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