As a part of the communication development programme, the government has taken initiatives to modernise 36 river ports of the country.
Work is underway at several riverports including Chilmari port, in Kurigram district. If the river ports are modernised, there will be a revolution in the communication system of the country’s waterways. Transportation of goods to and from abroad by waterways will reduce the transport cost and increase the use of our sea and river ports, said insiders.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) chairman Commodore Golam Sadeq said, “By 2030, we will be able to open near about 50 new river ports. We have communication with India through 10 river routes. We are going to connect Daudkandi river port with Sonamora river port of India.”
“There is a plan to dredge 10,000 km of waterway by 2024 so that we could connect inland waterways with international seaports. These ports have the facilities for landing ships and mechanised boats, loading and unloading of passengers and goods. We are looking forward to increase facilities in river ports in the coming days,” he added.
Once work on the Chilmari port in Kurigram is completed in June next year, it will be possible to transport 32.5 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of goods annually. New connections will be made with India's Assam, Nepal and Bhutan. On the other hand, 3 million tonnes of goods will be transported through Pabna’s Nagarbari river port.
On September 2016, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had declared Chilmari as a river port and stressed on its connection with other river and seaports. The project is being implemented by BIWTA under the Ministry of Shipping.
Work on the projec was started at a cost of Tk 235.59 crore with full government funding. The implementation period of the project is from January this year to June 2023. If implemented within the stipulated time and in accordance with the agreement, country’s vessels’ movement with Assam, Nepal and Bhutan will be restored after 59 years.
According to the Ministry of Shipping, 225 million passengers and 25 million vehicles are transported annually on inland waterways by ferry, coastal vessels and cargo services. The cost of transporting one ton of goods is less than Tk 1 per kilometer, while it cost Tk 4 by road and Tk 2.5 by railway.
In the last 2019-20 financial year, more than 5.35 crore passengers have been transported through Dhaka river port. At the same time, 58.52 million tonnes of goods have been transported through this port.