Ministry plans to acquire ecologically critical area to set up DSP

Munima Sultana The shipping ministry plans to acquire 26 per cent land of Moheskhali district which includes the entire 9.0 sqkm Sonadia island, identified as ecologically critical area, to set up the proposed Deep Sea Port (DSP), officials said Sunday. Situated in the north-west of Cox's Bazar, Sonadia island is famous for different kinds of shells. It is also a hub of dry fish industry. It has been declared as an ecologically critical area under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995. Officials said the Deep Sea Port Cell has already proposed to acquire the 70 sqkm (7000 hectares) land comprising mostly khas land and sought government permission to start acquisition. They said the vast area of land will be needed to set up elevated roads, metro rails, ports and power plants under the public-private partnership. Officials said the DSP is a priority project for the government as the existing two sea ports are hard put to handle international trade which is increasing at the rate of 9.8 per cent per year. The DSP has been designed not only to handle ever increasing external trade of the country but also to offer port facilities to some neighbouring countries including India, China and Mynmar, they added. The government has undertaken the DSP project after a pre-feasibility study found Sonadia island, some 100 km from Chittagong, suitable for it in 2009. The shipping ministry initially planned to set up the costly project out of the government fund but later sought the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs to implement it under PPP.