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Chattogram Port Day today

President, PM greet workers


Bangladeshpost
Published : 24 Apr 2019 09:02 PM | Updated : 25 Aug 2020 09:31 AM

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday greeted labourers, officials, users and others involved in the operation of Chattogram Port marking the 132nd founding anniversary of the premier port of the country observed as Port Day, reports BSS. The Chattogram Port, the gateway of the country’s overseas trade, is playing a vital role in the nation’s economic development, they said in separate messages on the eve of the Port Day to be observed today.

In his message, President Abdul Hamid said the Chattogram Port began its journey formally in 1887 and it became the central point of Bangladesh’s economy. Around 92 percent export and import activities with foreign countries are carried out through this port, he said, adding 29.03 lakh TEUS container handling took place in Chattogram Port in 2018 and it achieved 8.88 percent growth.

Hamid said the initiatives to construct Patenga Container Terminal, Laldia Terminal and Bay-Terminal to increase the capacity of the port are time befitting. He said the present government is implementing different programmes to make Bangladesh as a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed nation by 2041. To achieve these targets, the role of Chattogram Port is very important, he added.

“I hope that all concerned including the port authorities will continue their all-out efforts to make the port a modern and developed one in this region,” said Abdul Hamid. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said as the prime port of Bangladesh, the Chattogram Port is playing role in the economic development of the country. The Awami League government is implementing different programmes to develop the port as a world-standard one, she said, adding the Container Terminal Management System (CTMS), automatic container handling system, and modern VTMIS (Vessel Traffic Management Information System) have been introduced in the port to monitor the ships.

Hasina said the overall activities of the port have been digitized. The capacity of the port has increased a lot for such initiatives, she added. She said the present government has been working to make Bangladesh as a prosperous country by implementing Vision-2021 and Vision 2041. “I hope that the Chattogram Port will play a vital role in making the country a ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she added. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wished all success of the programmes taken by the port authorities marking the day.