China will offer its support to Bangladesh to develop its strategically-significant deep-sea port in Chittagong when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrives here on Wednesday on a five-day visit.
The much hyped container terminal management system (CTMS) is expected to be launched at Chittagong Port in April this year in an effort to bring dynamism in the port activities, officials said.
Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury said that transit through Chittagong and Mongla ports should be implemented for the greater interest of boosting the country's economy as well as the development of Chittagong and Khulna regions. Business volume of the country will be increased 10 times then it is now if transit facilities of the two ports are given to the neighbouring countries, he added.
A joint team of India-Bangladesh started surveying Mongla and Chittagong ports. The team using a BIWTA vessel left Narayanganj on Tuesday and reached Mongla via Barisal on Wednesday noon. A press briefing would be arranged in this connection at foreign ministry on Saturday, sources said. It is gathered from a reliable source that the purpose of the survey is to discover means of best use of river transit through Bangladesh as per recently signed joint communiqué.
Senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury on Friday vowed to prevent India from using Chittagong port. He said prime minister Sheikh Hasina had put Bangladesh's security at risk by allowing India to use Bangladesh's ports in a deal sealed in her recent trip to that country.
Chittagong and Mongla ports have earned Tk 8.66 billion from January to September period of the current year, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan told the parliament (Jatiyo Sangsad) Monday. In reply to a question of Mohammad Fazlul Azim, the minister said Chittagong port fetched Tk 8.45 billion and Mongla port fetched Tk 208.0 million.
Chittagong Port dock workers-employees' federation demonstrated in the port demanding reinstatement of the workers terminated during the immediate past caretaker government, boycotting the scheduled meeting with Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan Thursday.
Chittagong Port, the prime sea port of the country will become inoperative as most of the pilots who berth the ships into the jetties from the outer anchorage will retire in next year. Of the total 10 pilots, only eight are working. Of them five pilots will retire as they will be over 57 years old next year.
A parliamentary body today accused former shipping adviser Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin of violation of constitution and the Public Servant (Retirement) Act by lifting service age of the pilots of Chittagong port to 60 years from 57.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) team probing irregularities in awarding container-handling job at Chittagong Port and extending retirement age of shipping pilots yesterday issued notices to nine people including former shipping secretary to appear before the committee for questioning and taking statements from witnesses.
