KHULNA, March 1, 2019 (BSS) – Mongla Port, the second largest sea port of the country, witnessed at least 100 foreign ship anchoring in February breaking all previous records, said an official.
“The record touched a milestone in the monthly statistics in last seven decades after the establishing of the port near the Bay of Bengal,” he said.
The Mongla port has been playing a vital role in country’s economic development since 2009 as some very important initiatives were by the then government, said the official.
Talking to BSS, Public Relations Officer of Mongla Port Authority (MPA) Makhruzzaman said, it turned into a losing sea port in the years from 2001 to 2008 because of manifold problems.
In February, 2007-2008 fiscal year, only seven foreign ships anchored at the port. A total of nine development projects and four ADB programmes were implemented from 2009 to 2017 involving Taka 454.47 crore aiming to enhance ability of Mongla Port, he said.
Currently, at least 10 projects are being implemented and five projects are under the process to get approval and four other projects are under DPP. The official, however, said the MPA has already ensured different facilities for Mongla port users to get speedy and quality services.
The facilities includes capital dredging at the Pashur River, purchasing different 42 containers and cargo handling machineries and setting up modern channel at Pashur River to arrive and discharge foreign ship round the clock.
Contacted, Chairman of Mongla Port Authority Commodore AKM Faruk Hasan told BSS that the government has taken many initiatives to enhance ability of Mongla port.
Number of foreign ship arriving is increasing day by day as industrialization boosted up centering Mongla Port and Rampal Power Plant. Investors are importing different production materials like machineries, cement clinkers, car, fertilizers and equipment for industrialization.
The MPA has earned a profit of Taka 266 crore in 2016-17 FY while Taka 286 crore in 2017-18 FY, he said.
In 2007-08 FY, a total of 7.5 lac ton cargos were handled at the port. It has increased to least 97 lac tons in 17-18 FY and in the current FY, it was targeted at 1.20 lac tons, he said adding that dredging is progressing at Rampal Power Plant area, Food Silo area and Outer berth in the Pashur River.
In line with the ‘Vision-2021’ envisaged by the government, all the projects are being implemented to attract foreign companies to operate in economic zones as well as ensure balanced development of every region of the country.