Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last week , in parliament unveiled her government’s massive plans to develop and modernise all sea, river and land ports of the country in addition to setting up a deep-sea port to boost Bangladesh’s economy.

She said Chittagong and Mongla ports will be prepared for the use of neighbouring countries by implementing various plans including construction of new container terminal, purchasing modern equipment for the two ports and carrying out capital dredging from Sadarghat to the third Karnaphuli Bridge.

The government also plans to construct new river ports at Noapara, Bhairab-Ashuganj and Barguna and a new inland container terminal at Pangaon. Besides, land ports at Teknaf, Hili, Banglabandha and Bibirbazar will be made operative after development work, Hasina said in her scripted answer to a query.

“Only 40 percent capacity of Chittagong port and 10 percent of Mongla port is being currently used. Revenue earning will be more than double when the usage is increased,” she said, adding that the earning will be increased further when neighbouring countries will be allowed to use the two seaports. This will also generate new employment opportunities.

On setting up a deep-sea port at Sonadia Island, Hasina said in light of a cabinet decision work is on to prepare detailed design of the port and explore foreign fund.

The premier said her government plans to introduce computerised container terminal management system at Chittagong Port, construct backward linkage at terminals 4 and 5 at New Mooring container terminal, appoint private global operator for running the terminal.

She said two vessels, one for oily waste reception and another for solid waste, will be purchased to improve environment management of Chittagong Port.

“Radiation detection equipment will be installed at Chittagong Port under the US Megaports Initiative to prevent smuggling of nuclear and radioactive goods through global maritime system,” the premier said.

The Karnaphuli container terminal will be constructed replacing expired jetties 11-13 at Chittagong Port. A multi-storey car-parking shed will be built at the port, she said.

Hasina said the government has planned for bank protection and capital dredging from Sadarghat to the third Karanphuli Bridge to protect important establishments at Chittagong Port from possible risk, and ensure discipline berthing of ships and navigability in Karanphuli channel.

On the development of Mongla Port, Hasina said her government plans to collect cargo handling equipment, cutter suction dredger, dispatch boat, and carry out dredging at outer bar of the Pashur channel and harbour area of the port.

She said activities of Benapole land port will be brought under automation to bring dynamism and transparency in its functions. The port will also have its own cargo handling equipment. Besides, a project to modernise the port will be implemented in two phases, she said.

The premier said Bhomra land port and Barisal river port will also be developed.

Besides, railway network will be set up across the country as well as the network from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar will be expanded.

Hasina said the number of lanes on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway will be increased to six in phases as the process for upgrading the highway into a four-lane one has begun.

Bangladesh: Chittagong and Mongla port prepared for use by neighbours, deep-sea port to be constructed

The ports in Penang and Chittagong in Bangladesh are currently in discussions to become sister ports in an effort to enhance co-operation between them.

Bangladesh is keen to make the Penang port its sister port as part of efforts to enhance trade and relationships between the two nations, its Minister of Shipping, Shahjahan Khan, said.

He said Bangladesh, a developing country, was keen to have a greater understanding of the operations of a modern port such as the Penang port.

“We do not have any sister port and we feel that the Penang port will be ideal,” he told a media briefing after a tour of the newly-completed Swettenham Pier International Cruise Terminal here Tuesday.

Shahjahan is leading a delegation on a visit to Penang port. Accompanying them were Penang Port Commission chairman Tan Cheng Liang and Penang Port Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.

He said he would discuss the matter with Bangladesh prime minister soon.

“I hope to sign the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Penang port soon. We are impressed with the development of the port here,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tan said she hoped the MOU could be signed soon as it would help enhance the development of the ports.

“If we sign the MOU with the port, especially Chittagong port, it will help strengthen the relationships between the two nations in terms of port operations,” she said.

She said Penang port has made a steady progress since it was privatised in 1994 and its throughput increased by 3.1 per cent to 958,476 twenty-foot equivalent (TEUs) last year from 929,639 TEUs in 2008.

Tan said the Penang port would undertake projects including the acquisition of container equipment and increase the post-Panamax gantry cranes to 16.

She said the newly-completed international passenger ship terminal at the Swettenham Pier International Cruise Terminal was expected to attract one million passenger arrivals this year.

“With the capabilty of the terminal to receive bigger ships it is expected that the number of passengers staying over in Penang will increase.

“The terminal also has facilities for ferries plying between Penang and Langkawi and between Penang and Medan, Indonesia,” she said.

The 15,000 sq ft terminal also has houses the Customs and Immigration offices and quarantine area.

The Bangladeshi government said it is willing to open Chittagong Port to further increase trade, business and connectivity with northeast India.

“Chief ministers of the northeastern states have also pleaded for more connectivity and trade between the northeastern states and Bangladesh,” an official told IANS.

According to IANS, Bangladesh Commerce Minister Colonel Faruk Khan during a trade related meeting said his government has no problem allowing India and other neighboring countries to use Chittagong International Port, which is just 75 kilometers from southern Tripura.

The Chittagong Port is an important trade port for India and South Asian nations because of its strategic location.

“All ports are now everybody’s ports for economic interest of concerned countries,” said Khan, saying that ports are being upgraded in his countries.

New Delhi is also looking at Ashuganj Port located in eastern Bangladesh as a new port of call in addition to the use of Chittagong Port.

“India has also been pressing Bangladesh for allowing transit routes through that country,” a Tripura government official told IANS.

India’s northeast states would benefit from transit routes through Bangladesh with only the average distance of major cities between the two from 30 kilometers to 200 kilometers.

Global economy for sustainability and noticing geographical need,it is long before vital matter to increase the facilities and collabration between Myanmar and Bangladesh .
Myanmar and Bangladesh are deliberating on using Chittagong Port for trading activities of the two countries.
SOURCE xinhuanet.com: The feasibility on the move was discussed during a recent call on Minister of Livestock Breeding and Fisheries Brigadier-General Maung Maung Thein in Nay Pyi Taw by the Adviser to the Bangladesh Commerce Ministry, the report said.

The Myanmar side proposed to use Chittagong port for vessels from Tekaaf linking Myanmar’s Maungtaw in Rakhine state to directly ship goods, inviting fishermen from Bangladesh to cross over to Myanmar to engage in fishery undertakings in the coastal state, the report added.

In February, businessmen of Myanmar’s Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and a Bangladesh delegation, led by Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank Ziaul Hasan Siddiqui, had met in Yangon to seek ways of enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

The Myanmar side said the government has permitted its private sector to export rice to supplement Bangladesh’s requirement, pointing out that the government is also undertaking many important communication linkages in the western Rakhine state and saying that transport facility and smooth flow of commodity will improve soon between the two countries through the state.

The Myanmar side also proposed to establish banking arrangements between the two countries to promote trade, stressing the need for Myanmar’s Investment and Commercial Bank and the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank to have corresponding banks in Bangladesh for effective and reliable payments related to trade transactions.

The Bangladesh side emphasized the need to promote the bilateral trade and change the trend of border trade to normal trade, disclosing that Bangladesh wants to invest in Myanmar’s agriculture and livestock breeding sectors through bilateral cooperation.

One more border trade point, Taungphyo, is being planned by Myanmar in the state in addition to Sittway and Maungtaw.

Currently, Myanmar and Bangladesh are engaged more in border trade than in normal trade. Myanmar exports to Bangladesh marine products, beans and pulses, and kitchen crops, while it imports from Bangladesh pharmaceuticals, ceramic, cotton fabric, raw jute, kitchenware and cosmetic.

The two countries formally opened border trade in 1994.

Bilateral trade between Myanmar and Bangladesh now stands at 140 million U.S. dollars and both countries strive to acieve the target of 500 million dollars for the next fiscal year 2009-2010.

Official statistics show that Myanmar exported 23,000 tons of marine products to Bangladesh annually, standing as Bangladesh’s fifth largest marine products importing country out of 30.

During a visit to Dhaka by Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Vice Senior-General Maung Aye in early October last year, the two sides decided on purchase of 100,000 tons of rice from Myanmar by Bangladesh, import of pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh, construction of a 25-kilometer trans-border road and delimitation of maritime boundary.

An agreement on avoidance of double taxation was also signed during the Myanmar leader’s Bangladesh trip.