DHAKA, Jan 16, 2021 (BSS) – State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury today said the emergency maintenance of the Rabnabad channel (inner and outer channel) started to maintain the dynamism of the country’s foreign trade.
“The emergency maintenance of the Rabnabad channel has been started to maintain its depth at 6.3 meters to bolster foreign trade of the country. Significant capital dredging activities are underway alongside emergency maintenance dredging,” he said while inaugurating the emergency maintenance dredging work at Rabnabad Channel of Payra Port in Patuakhali.
He said capital dredging will increase the navigability of the Rabnabad channel so that commercial vessels with a draft of 10.5 meter will be able to dock at the port.
“This will bring a large number of foreign ships to the port and add a new dimension to the country’s foreign trade,” he added.
“Our reserves stand at Taka 42 billion,” he said, adding: “We are going to do the work of capital dredging with our own funds.”
Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, Chairman of Payra Port Authority (PPA) Commodore Humayun Kallol and representative of the Belgium-based dredging company – Jan de Null were present, among others.
The state minister said that the Payra Port will act as a supporting force in the country’s economy in 2035.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has become a middle-income country, he said, adding that the country will be a developed one before 2041.
An agreement was signed between the PPA and Jan de Null dredging company on December 17 in 2020 for the implementation of an emergency maintenance dredging project.