Developing port facilities

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THE seven North-eastern Indian states and neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan are landlocked entities. They are presently using the faraway Kolkata port for their external trade. But it is not only distance of Kolkata port that is the main problem, but the port also suffers from poor handling capacity. This port is also found rather partly unserviceable because of the falling level of the Hooghly channel and other natural disadvantages. Chittagong port, by comparison, is much better situated to handle the trade of the seven Indian states as well as Nepal and Bhutan.
It can be accessed relatively faster and the cost involved is also cheaper. In fact, by allowing external users to use the Chittagong port, the regional economy can experience uplift and Bangladesh can gain by obtaining good amounts from the users as service fees on a regular basis for the use of its port facilities. Again, the wider use of Chittagong port will require expansion of its present capacities. Again, this expansion can be achieved through foreign investments and these investments will have spin-offs in the form of creation of jobs and economic activities locally.
Not only Chittagong port, Bangladesh can set up more ports in the vicinity of Chittagong to service the entire region comprising the seven Indian states as well as Nepal and Bhutan. It can set up even a deep sea port in the Bay of Bengal. All of these port facilities will make Bangladesh a sort of entreport for the entire region comprising the Indian states of Nepal and Bhutan. In that case, the pressure will ease on Bangladesh's limited port facilities to service the region while it would earn large amounts of foreign currencies from the regional users by playing the role of the regional entrepot.
Foreign investments will play a vital role in the establishment of these new port facilities and spare Bangladesh of the need to make its own investments. Investments to create the new ports will generate jobs and income locally. The maintenance and operation of the infrastructures will create regular jobs for a large number of Bangladeshis. Besides, along with the establishment of new ports or increase in port capacities and the resultant expansion in regional trade and economic activities, services such as shipping, insurance, banking, etc., will need to expand. The expansions will have to occur in the territories of Bangladesh. Thus, the Bangladesh economy should benefit also from these multiplier effects.
Abdur Rahim
Uttara, Dhaka.