Prof. ABM. Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
Government has taken a number of mega development projects centering Mongla Sea Port in order to face the challenge of vision-2021.
By this time a number of projects were already completed while some others are ongoing position. The rest development projects are waiting for getting final approval from the authorities concerned. If all the projects are completed within the scheduled time Mongla will be the biggest sea port in the south-west region and it will be able to play an important role in exporting and importing goods.
By this time the income and handling of goods of the port increased to a great extent and surpassed all the previous records. Due to the untiring efforts of Commodore AKM Faruk Hasan, Chairman of the Port authorities the development works (of the port) are in progressing satisfactorily. But this benefit of the development of port is availing by the export-importers and all others concerned with the port. Due to the continuous development of the port and existing facilities the export-importers are now very interested to use the port.
Mongla port authorities disclosed, the present Govt. has taken extensive development projects centering Mongla Sea Port. Out of them the worth mentioning projects are – construction of 4-lane Highways and railway link from the Padma bridge to Mongla port, 4-lane Highways and rail communication from Panchagar (Banglabamdar) to Mongla port (for the transportation of goods of Nepal and Bhutan through Mongla port) and side by side the development of bridges and culverts, expansion of Mongla EPZ, founding of Special Economic Zone, completion of Khanjahan Ali air port within a short time, increasing the navigability of the river Rupsa and Mongla-Ghasikhali water channel, establishing a Marine Academy, a Technical Training Institute and a Tourist Spot at Mongla provided with all the facilities for touring the Sundarban forest, supply of gas to Mongla through the pipe lines, construction of a hanging bridge over the river Mongla in order to connect the new port area with the old port area and a flyover from Digraj to the food silo at Joymonirghol of old Mongla port, construction of a water purifying centre, founding a University, a Medical College providing with a 250 bed hospital, a shopping complex, a modern auditorium and modern fish processing centre at Mongla, construction of a mega shopping complex, an ultra modern convention cum community centre, multistoried buildings and a port based new town through PPP (Public Private Partnership). Under the development project multistoried buildings will also be constructed in the old port area in order to provide the affected traders and businessmen there. Not only that but also mills and factories will be constructed in the hinterlands of the port. 5 star hotels, a recreation centre, a wood and timber processing industry, a honey processing industry, a re-rolling steel mill and a paper mill will also be constructed in the port area under the Development Project of the Mongla Port.
