Govt to appoint private operator at Akhaura Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Shipping ministry is going to appoint a private operator at the Akhaura land port to facilitate shipment of goods to Tripura in India.
"The ministry is going to float tender to appoint the operator very soon as we need to build necessary infrastructure to handle huge volume of cargoes destined for Tripura," said an official of shipping ministry.
At present, Bangladeshi goods are sent to Tripura through Akhaura with the help of a customs station, but there is lack of necessary infrastructure at the land port.
"We expect increased revenue from the land port as it will be very busy after the transshipment agreement is fully operational," the official said.
There might be intense competition among the companies vying for the job at the port, which is the second biggest in the country, he added.
Benapole is the busiest land port in the country.
The private operator will build the necessary infrastructure of container depot and shed to stack the cargoes and will install crane and procure fork lift and other equipment to handle large volume of goods, the official said.
"We expect about half a million containers to be shipped to the north eastern states of India as the transshipment agreement has already been signed to pave way for movement of Indian cargoes through Akhaura to Tripura," he explained.
Ashuganj is the second transshipment point and fifth port of calls in Bangladesh and the government is going to modernise the river port at a cost of Tk 2.5 billion with the help of Indian government.
Shipping ministry is going to appoint a private operator at the Akhaura land port to facilitate shipment of goods to Tripura in India.
"The ministry is going to float tender to appoint the operator very soon as we need to build necessary infrastructure to handle huge volume of cargoes destined for Tripura," said an official of shipping ministry.
At present, Bangladeshi goods are sent to Tripura through Akhaura with the help of a customs station, but there is lack of necessary infrastructure at the land port.
"We expect increased revenue from the land port as it will be very busy after the transshipment agreement is fully operational," the official said.
There might be intense competition among the companies vying for the job at the port, which is the second biggest in the country, he added.
Benapole is the busiest land port in the country.
The private operator will build the necessary infrastructure of container depot and shed to stack the cargoes and will install crane and procure fork lift and other equipment to handle large volume of goods, the official said.
"We expect about half a million containers to be shipped to the north eastern states of India as the transshipment agreement has already been signed to pave way for movement of Indian cargoes through Akhaura to Tripura," he explained.
Ashuganj is the second transshipment point and fifth port of calls in Bangladesh and the government is going to modernise the river port at a cost of Tk 2.5 billion with the help of Indian government.