Photo : Messenger
The government has undertaken a series of long, medium, and short-term projects scheduled from 2024 to modernise the Mongla port and expand its capacity that includes the construction of a coal and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) handling jetty, estimated at Tk 4,000 crore.
Experts think that these projects will enhance the efficiency of the Mongla port. According to the plan, a coal-handling jetty will be established at Joymoni by 2025, and a floating jetty for LNG handling at Akram point is projected to be completed from 2029 to 2030, estimated at Tk 2,000 crore under a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali, Chairman of the Mongla Port Authority (MPA), told The Daily Messenger, “We will invest funds in constructing infrastructure such as jetties and adopting technologies to run the port efficiently."
He added that funds, both from the government and abroad, will be engaged under the PPP agreement, with China already involved financially.
To enhance the water flow of the Pasur River with a 10mm CD, dredging will commence in 2030, and the project is expected to be completed by 2040, with an estimated cost of Tk 1,500 crore funded by the government.
The expansion of the Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS) is set for completion by 2035, with work beginning in 2030, estimated at Tk 100 crore from the GoB fund.
The relevant ministry plans to procure modern container and cargo handling equipment from 2029, with an estimated cost of Tk 300 crore funded by the GoB. Additionally, the construction of a car yard is scheduled to begin in 2025, with an estimated cost of Tk 100 crore under PPP.
The government has long sought external funds to develop the port's capacity in the southern region, aiming to reduce reliance on the Chattogram port and support Bangladesh's growing international trade.
Chinese approval for funding came after the MPA appointed Egis India Consulting Engineers Private Limited as the consultant for the capacity-building project, and a deal was signed on December 26.
Apart from a mechanical workshop, equipment yard, equipment shed, pool, overpass for rail crossing, river dam, and roads, recreation facilities will also be constructed.
Dredging is currently underway in the Pasur River, the main channel. Once completed, vessels with drafts up to 9.5 meters will be able to enter the port jetty.
In the last fiscal year, the port authorities earned Tk 340 crore, the highest in the port's 70-year history, compared to Tk 316 crore in the previous year.
In FY22, the port handled the import of 20,400 cars, up from 14,474 units in FY21.
The port managed 1.07 crore tonnes of cargo from July to May 2021-22, slightly lower than the 1.19 crore tonnes in the entire 2020-21, according to data from the MPA.
Although the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the capacity-building project in 2020, it has not yet commenced after three years. The significance of Mongla port has increased following the opening of the Padma bridge in June last year.
Messenger/Disha
