Nizam Uddin Lavlu, Ramgarh Correspondent :
The development work of the land port infrastructure at Ramgarh has been stalled for about 6 months due to border issues.
The BSF stopped the work as the Indian Home Ministry did not have permission to build permanent infrastructure at the Ramgarh land port, which was acquired within 150 yards of the border. As a result, despite all the preparations for the construction of the infrastructure, the concerned contractor could not start the work of the project worth around Tk 125 crore for 6 long months. In this situation, it has been decided to start temporary immigration activities within the next 2-3 months by constructing temporary tinshed buildings 150 yards outside the border.
The decision was taken at a meeting of high-ranking officials of the Bangladesh Land Port Authority chaired by Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Md Mostafa Kamal in Ramgarh on Wednesday (June 22). On Wednesday afternoon, the delegation visited the site of the acquired land port in the Mahamuni area of Ramgarh. Later, they held a meeting in the conference room of Ramgarh Municipality. The meeting was chaired by Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Md. Mostafa Kamal. Among others, Chairman (Additional Secretary) of Bangladesh Land Ports Authority Md. Alamgir, Project Director (Joint Secretary) Md. Sarwar Alam, Additional DIG (Immigration, Land and Sea Ports) Md. Moniruzzaman, among others. Ramgarh 43 BGB Commander Lt. Col. Md. Hafizur Rahman, Khagrachhari Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Kazi Md. Alimullah, Ramgarh Upazila Chairman Bishwa Pradeep Kumar Karbari, Upazila Executive Officer Khondakar Md. Ikhtiyar Uddin Arafat and Municipality Mayor Md. Rafiqul Alam Was present.
The meeting also decided to take necessary steps through the Bangladesh High Commission to get the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs to work on a permanent infrastructure project at the acquired port of Ramgarh within 150 yards of the border through the Bangladesh High Commission.
According to sources, the 10 acres acquired in the Mahamuni area of Ramgarh for the purpose of launching the Ramgarh land port include ICP, customs, passenger terminal building, port building, transshipment shed, Tk 120 crore for construction of various offices and residences. Taken by Bangladesh Land Port Authority. The contractor appointed for the construction work completed the construction of the 412 meter long and 14.8 meter wide two-lane exta dosed, cable stayed RCC Maitri Bridge in January last year.
About 110 crore Indian rupees were spent on the construction of the bridge. After receiving the work order, the concerned contractor brings the construction of workable sheds, construction materials and all the necessary machinery and equipment to the side in preparation for the commencement of work. A total of about 40 engineers, officers, employees and construction workers joined the project. After completing all the necessary preparations, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) stopped the operation on January 11.
The BSF halted the work, citing restrictions on the construction of permanent infrastructure within 150 yards of the border’s zero line, citing restrictions on international border law. Meanwhile, on June 22, high-ranking officials of the Bangladesh Land Ports Authority, led by Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Md. Mostafa Kamal, visited the site of the acquired land port in the Mahamuni area of Ramgarh.
Later, they held a meeting in the conference room of Ramgarh Municipality. The meeting was chaired by Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Md. Mostafa Kamal. Among others, Chairman (Additional Secretary) of Bangladesh Land Ports Authority Md. Alamgir, Project Director (Joint Secretary) Md. Sarwar Alam, Additional DIG (Immigration, Land and Sea Ports) Md. Moniruzzaman, among others. Ramgarh 43 BGB Commander Lt. Col. Md. Hafizur Rahman, Khagrachhari Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Kazi Md. Alimullah, Ramgarh Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khandaker Md. Ikhtiyar Uddin Arafat were present. The meeting decided to start the immigration process within two months and take necessary steps to get permission from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs to work on a permanent infrastructure project at the acquired port of Ramgarh within 150 yards of the border through the Bangladesh High Commission appointed by India, sources said. Earlier on February 14, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP along with various officials of Bangladesh Land Port Authority visited the project area of Ramgarh Land Port. At the time, he spoke of taking steps to address the BSF’s obstruction through a high-level government, but about five months later, border issues remained unresolved.
During the on-site inspection of the project area, it can be seen that various types of heavy machinery, construction equipment, vehicles etc. brought to start the construction of the ground are lying under the open sky. Engineers, officials and workers are spending idle time. Engineer Hafizur Rahman, manager of the land port project of Monico Limited, said that after receiving the work order on October 28, they moved to the project area in the same month. All preparations for the start of work were completed in November and December. In this, the layout of the work is also taken. BSF suspended work on January 11, a day after starting work on January 10. He said that the BSF had put up a red flag at the acquired site of the project and asked them not to do any work inside the site. As a result, they stopped working.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bangladesh Bharat Maitri Setu-1 over the Feninadi with the aim of launching the Ramgarh-Sabrum land port on March 9, 2021. In January 2010, during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Delhi, a joint decision was taken to open the Ramgarh-Sabroom land port in a meeting with the then Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh. Later, on June 6, 2015, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the foundation stone plaque of the under-construction Bangladesh Bharat Maitri Setu-1 bridge over Feni river. In April 2017, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) appointed a company from Gujarat named Dinesh Chandra Agarwal Construction as the contractor for the construction of Maitri Setu-1 on the Feni river bordering Ramgarh-Sabroom land port.
