Two more land ports go to private sector next month
Friday, 24 August 2007
FE Report
The government is set to allow private companies to run Hili and Bibir Bazar land ports by the first week of September next, sources said.
They said all required preparations, including infrastructure development and permission from authorities concerned for establishing warehouses at Hili in Dinajpur and Bibir Bazar in Comilla have almost been completed.
With the functioning of the land ports, the sources said, the country's cross-border trade with the neighbouring countries will rise.
Besides, sources in Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA) said, steps are underway to convert another land station -- Birol -- into land port.
"We have reached consensus with the authority concerned of India on laying railway line on both side of the boarder," one official said.
The official sources said the process for appointing private operators on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis for five more land ports is under way.
The land ports are Bhomra in Satkhira, Burimari in Lalmonirhat, Haluaghat in Mymensingh, Tamabil in Sylhet and Akhaura in Brahmanbaria.
On completion of the process of transfer of the land ports, the authority will move to appoint private operators for the remaining land ports, including Darshana in Chuadanga.
However, the government's plan to increase volume of trade between Nepal and Bangladesh by making Bangla Bandha land port functional and establishing a direct road link is unlikely soon, sources said.
They said both Bangladesh and Nepal need transit facilities from India for a direct road link.
"We have written to the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up the matter for discussion at the earliest," said a high official of BLPA.
He said currently, trade through Bangla Bandha border is being held on transshipment basis as the Indian authority allows the Nepalese truck to come up to the zero point.
Currently, the Benapole land port in Jessore under the government's supervision and two land ports -- Teknaf in Cox's Bazar and Sonamasjid in Chapai Nawabgonj -- under the private operators are functioning.
The government is set to allow private companies to run Hili and Bibir Bazar land ports by the first week of September next, sources said.
They said all required preparations, including infrastructure development and permission from authorities concerned for establishing warehouses at Hili in Dinajpur and Bibir Bazar in Comilla have almost been completed.
With the functioning of the land ports, the sources said, the country's cross-border trade with the neighbouring countries will rise.
Besides, sources in Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA) said, steps are underway to convert another land station -- Birol -- into land port.
"We have reached consensus with the authority concerned of India on laying railway line on both side of the boarder," one official said.
The official sources said the process for appointing private operators on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis for five more land ports is under way.
The land ports are Bhomra in Satkhira, Burimari in Lalmonirhat, Haluaghat in Mymensingh, Tamabil in Sylhet and Akhaura in Brahmanbaria.
On completion of the process of transfer of the land ports, the authority will move to appoint private operators for the remaining land ports, including Darshana in Chuadanga.
However, the government's plan to increase volume of trade between Nepal and Bangladesh by making Bangla Bandha land port functional and establishing a direct road link is unlikely soon, sources said.
They said both Bangladesh and Nepal need transit facilities from India for a direct road link.
"We have written to the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up the matter for discussion at the earliest," said a high official of BLPA.
He said currently, trade through Bangla Bandha border is being held on transshipment basis as the Indian authority allows the Nepalese truck to come up to the zero point.
Currently, the Benapole land port in Jessore under the government's supervision and two land ports -- Teknaf in Cox's Bazar and Sonamasjid in Chapai Nawabgonj -- under the private operators are functioning.