Establishment of landport at Chilahati demanded
Our Correspondent | Tuesday, 12 August 2008
NILPHAMARI, Aug 11: Speakers at a seminar Saturday last urged the government to immediately establish a landport in bordering Chilahati town in Nilphamari district by utilising its suitable geographical location to increase trade of the country with the neighbouring countries.
"Four countries of the region -- Nepal, Bhutan, India and China -- are within 100-kilometre reach of Chilahati and establishment of landport can make trade with these countries significantly cost effective" said Abu Musa Mahmudul Hoque, convener of 'Chilahati landport realisation committee' (CLPRC) at the seminar in Dhaka. Nepal, Bhutan are interested to use Mongla Seaport of Bangladesh for their international trade, he said at the seminar organised by CLPRC.
Speakers said as there is a rail route between Chilahati and Khulna, neighbouring countries, particularly Nepal and Bhutan, can use Mongla port at lower cost and shorter time if a landport is set up at Chilahati. Economic activities of the whole country as well as the use of Mongla seaport would be accelerated if the landport were established, said former law maker Shamsuddoha.
The seminar was told that a passenger traffic office near the rail station at Chilahati was set up in 1953 for incoming and outgoing passengers and goods. It was in operation until June 2002. Although in 2004 the then shipping minister declared in Parliament Chilahati as a landport no follow-up action was taken in this connection. As many exporters and importers of Nilphamari, a business hub in North Bengal, use land ports of other districts, they will be able to cut carrying cost at least by forty per cent if landport at Chilahati is established. In the seminar former law maker Asaduzzaman Noor blamed absence of a long-term policy as the reason behind not establishing the landport at Chilahati.
Chaired by Abu Musa Mahmudul Hoque the seminar was attended, among others, by former minister Shafiqul Ghani Swapan, former whip Abdur Rouf, former MP. Shamsuddoha, Asaduzzaman Noor, former chairman of Board of Investment Nazrul Islam, Amar Desh Editor Ataus Samad, Nilphamari Mayor Dewan Kamal Ahmed, Saidpur Mayor Akhtar Hossain Badal, Nilphamari Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Sohel Parvej, former MP N.K. Alam Chowdhury, chairman of Fertiliser Association, Nilphamari, Abdul Wahed and others.
"Four countries of the region -- Nepal, Bhutan, India and China -- are within 100-kilometre reach of Chilahati and establishment of landport can make trade with these countries significantly cost effective" said Abu Musa Mahmudul Hoque, convener of 'Chilahati landport realisation committee' (CLPRC) at the seminar in Dhaka. Nepal, Bhutan are interested to use Mongla Seaport of Bangladesh for their international trade, he said at the seminar organised by CLPRC.
Speakers said as there is a rail route between Chilahati and Khulna, neighbouring countries, particularly Nepal and Bhutan, can use Mongla port at lower cost and shorter time if a landport is set up at Chilahati. Economic activities of the whole country as well as the use of Mongla seaport would be accelerated if the landport were established, said former law maker Shamsuddoha.
The seminar was told that a passenger traffic office near the rail station at Chilahati was set up in 1953 for incoming and outgoing passengers and goods. It was in operation until June 2002. Although in 2004 the then shipping minister declared in Parliament Chilahati as a landport no follow-up action was taken in this connection. As many exporters and importers of Nilphamari, a business hub in North Bengal, use land ports of other districts, they will be able to cut carrying cost at least by forty per cent if landport at Chilahati is established. In the seminar former law maker Asaduzzaman Noor blamed absence of a long-term policy as the reason behind not establishing the landport at Chilahati.
Chaired by Abu Musa Mahmudul Hoque the seminar was attended, among others, by former minister Shafiqul Ghani Swapan, former whip Abdur Rouf, former MP. Shamsuddoha, Asaduzzaman Noor, former chairman of Board of Investment Nazrul Islam, Amar Desh Editor Ataus Samad, Nilphamari Mayor Dewan Kamal Ahmed, Saidpur Mayor Akhtar Hossain Badal, Nilphamari Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Sohel Parvej, former MP N.K. Alam Chowdhury, chairman of Fertiliser Association, Nilphamari, Abdul Wahed and others.