Government has undertaken a project in order to construct some more six  new jetties at Mongla, the second  biggest Sea Port of the country to make it a regional business hub. By this time 62 per cent of the construction works of jetty No.03 and jetty No.04 were already completed by this time as a part of the project. A sum of Tk.800 crores will be spent for the construction purpose of those jetties.  On the other hand, a proposal for the construction of two more jetties (Jetty No.01 and jetty No .02) was already sent to the ECNEC for its approval. Besides,  these, the concerned authorities have already completed the preliminary works of the jetty No.11 and jetty No.12. If the construction works of those 06 (six) jetties are completed the Port will achieve the capacity for handling more 1.5 crores cargoes.

 

 Port authority  sources added, just with the opening of the long desired Padma Bridge for traffic the pressure of export- importable goods increased to a great extent. Now Mongla is the nearest Sea Port form the capital city of Dhaka. In the other hand, Mongla Port was linked with the Railways by this time. As a result, the carrying cost and time for the export-importable goods were minimized to a great extent and consequently, export- importable goods are now being taken only 3.5 hours to reach from Dhaka to Mongla and vice versa on road without any trouble and hazards and that is why the export and importers now prefer Mongla Port. So, the government has undertaken a plan to make Mongla Port, the second life line of the country as an export-import business hub in the south-western region of the country.Source said, Mongla Port had been handling cargoes and containers with using the old, risky and dilapidated machineries for the last three (03) decades. But after the opening of the Padma Bridge vehicles carrying export-importable goods reach from Dhaka to Mongla and vice versa without crossing the River Padma by ferries and without botherations. So, the pressure of handlings of cargoes and containers was increased to a great extent at the Port. So, the new machineries were installed at Mongla Port in order to cope with the situation. From the geographical perspective the position of Mongla Port is very important. After it was linked with the rail lines export and importable goods of the entire country, particularly south-west and northern regions are exported and imported mainly through this port. Not only that but also the export-importable goods of Nepal, Bhutan and even of the closely attached areas of India are exported and imported from this Port. In order to cope with the situation construction of new jetties at the Port is a must. If some more 08 jetties are constructed at the Port the viability of the handling capacity of cargoes and containers will be increased to a great extent and on the other hand, arrival of both native and foreign commercial ships at the Port will be increased and the exporters and importers will be more interested to use this Port. In order to minimize the unusual pressure and load on Chottogram Port the only means is more modernization of Mongla Port and consequently, the revenue of the Port will be increased.In this connection Rear Admiral Shaheen Rahman, Chairman of Mongla Port authorities told the The Country Today , works of some four  projects including the dredging in the inner bar of the Pashur channel attached to the Port are ongoing and after the completion of the dredging work the handling work of the cargoes and containers from the ships with 10 drafts will be possible and the viability of the Port will be increased in comparison with the past and arrival of commercial ships carrying with containers will be also increased. The Chairman added, arrival of commercial ships at the Port was increased in the fiscal year of 2023- 2025 in comparison with the fiscal year of 2022-2023. .On the other hand, arrival of imported cars increased to 13 per cent. The users of Mongla sea Port expect that the Port (Mongla) will be able to play an important role in the economic sector of the south-western region of the country if the proposed plan of plying the container ships between Mongla and Chottogram sea route with effect from the next month (May).