With the Padma Bridge expected to open next year the government has undertaken a number of mega projects to further improve Mongla Port and use it as a fully functional second seaport.
The mega project includes the construction of fast progressing Mongla Economic Zone near the port and building railway lines from Mongla to Kolkata in India via Nepal and Bhutan and necessary link roads for enhancing regional connectivity.
Mongla Port has already turned into a cost-effective and busy port with increasing number of foreign ships anchoring, cargo handling and exports and imports in the last nine years as the present government implemented various development projects linked to the port after assuming office in 2009.
Sources said, there will be around 12 components under the megaproject. Those are the construction of container terminal jetty 1 and 2,construction of container handling yard, container delivery yard, shade, security wall automation and other infrastructures, including extension of the port, service vessel jetty shade and office.
The use of Mongla Port is expected to be increased manifold following the construction of the Padma Bridge along with rail links, establishment of railway tracks from Khulna to Mongla and the construction of Khan Jahan Ali Airport, 1320 MW coal fired power plant at Rampal.
The ongoing megaprojects at Mongla Port worth over Tk 6,200 crore would add to the fast growing economic development once the Padma Bridge is completed and connected to the port located only a small distance from the seaport.
The Padma Bridge is expected to substantially increase the volume of trade through the port as it facilitates export and import with the neighboring countries, especially the land-locked Nepal and Bhutan.
Besides the Chattogram Port, the government is working to upgrade Mongla Port to an export-oriented international seaport; but navigability of river has emerged as a major hindrance to fulfill the dream, said concerned sources.
They said big ships cannot anchor at the port, situated on Pashur River in Bagerhat, due to the navigability crisis of the river.
Sources said that the depth at present is not enough for the handling of loading and unloading ship having 9 to 12 meter drafts. Because of this, the activities of the port cannot begin.
Therefore, it is important to increase the depth required to make the port operational. The Ministry of Shipping has adopted a project for dredging at the Inner Bar of the Mongla Port Channel, based on information presented by the port authorities. A source from the Planning Commission revealed this information.
Sources said the project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held on January 28. The Mongla Port Authority will implement the project at a cost of Tk 939.72 crore. The cost of the project will come entirely from the government's own financing. The dredging work is expected to be completed by June 30, 2022.
The project was not included in the list of unauthorized new projects unallocated in the Annual Development Program (ADP) for the fiscal year 2019-2020. However, the approval of the Planning Minister was taken for processing approval on a priority basis.
Regarding the project, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, ‘business and commerce has expanded in the country. The scope of trade and commerce has increased. Trade and commerce through Chattagram port has been under pressure for some time now. So the government wants to increase the capacity of Mongla Seaport to reduce the pressure there. This is why the project has been adopted here.’
The project has been adopted as a high-priority project to achieve the required depth in ship handling of 9 to 12 meter drafts on the jetty of Mongla Port, which is in line with the objectives of the 5th Five Year Plan.
