State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP said that the Awami League government has been working for the development of waterways since coming to power. The present government is working on the capacity of the country’s waterways to reduce the pressure of freight vehicles on the highways. The development of independent Bangladesh was halted on 15 August 1975 with the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family. The government after 1975 did not develop the country’s waterways in any way. After that, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina came to power and started salvaging and developing the country’s waterways. With the completion of the two agreements that have been signed today, the progress of Bangladesh’s waterways will enable cargo vehicles and passengers using the country’s waterways to reach their destinations with more ease.
The State Minister was speaking as the chief guest at the signing ceremony of an agreement on waterway dredging at Hotel Radisson in Dhaka on Saturday (14 May) to enhance the capacity of the Chattogram-Dhaka-Ashuganj naval corridor.
To improve the capacity and security of the Chattogram-Dhaka-Ashuganj naval corridor for the transportation of passengers and goods by inland waterways and to establish it as a sustainable sector, the Chittagong-Dhaka-Ashuganj and adjoining waterway dredging and terminal construction agreement, funded by the World Bank, was signed.
Project Director and Additional Chief Engineer of BIWTA Md. Ayub Ali, Managing Director of Karnaphuli Ship Builders Ltd. Engineer Abdur Rashid on behalf of the contractor Gulf Kabla-Karnafuli Joint Venture, Md. Ainul Islam, Director of Banga Dredgers Limited on behalf of another contractor Dharti-Banga joint venture signed the agreement in the presence of State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP. Among others, Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, Chairman of the River Protection Commission Manzur Ahmed Chowdhury, and Chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Commodore Golam Sadeq were present on the occasion. According to the agreement, the development and conservation excavation work of 13 navigable routes will be done by the contractors Gulf Kabla-Karnafuli joint venture and Dharti-Banga joint venture. It will cost Tk 430 crores.
Under the project, about 900 km of the waterway will be excavated, cyclone shelters of ships will be constructed at 6 places, dredging will be done at 3 ferry crossing areas, construction and development of 4 passenger and 2 cargo terminals, construction of 15 landing stations and procurement of 2 multipurpose vessels will be done.
Under the project, the maintenance and navigability of main rivers and tributaries (about 900 km of the waterway) in Ashuganj, Narayanganj, and Barisal of the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor will be maintained through performance-based contract dredging. In addition, cyclone shelters for ships will be constructed at 6 places. Initially selected places are Shatnal, Charbhairavi, Chandpur, Mehendiganj, Sandwip, and Nalchira. Conservation dredging in the area of 3 ferry crossings (Chandpur-Shariatpur, Laxmipur-Bhola, and Veduria-Laharhat), construction and development of 4 passenger terminals (Dhaka Shamshanghat, Narayanganj, Chandpur, and Barisal) and construction and development of 2 cargo terminals (Pangaon and Ashugank) and construction of 15 landing stations at Bhairab Bazar, Alu Bazar, Harina, Hijla, Maju Chowdhury, Ilisha (Bhola), Veduria, Laharhat, Baddarhat, Daulatkhan, Chairmanghat (Char Bata), Sandwip, Tajumuddin, Monpura and Tamuruddin, and 2 multipurpose vessels will be procured.
The Chattogram-Dhaka-Ashuganj naval corridor and the extension of Narayanganj and Barisal are identified as the most important and priority routes for inland trade and bilateral trade with India. About 80% of the inland vessels of the country pass through this corridor and about 2 lac passengers use these waterways daily.
The duration of the project is till 31 December 2025. The estimated cost of the project is Tk 3349.42 crores. Which World Bank’s Project Assistance (PA) is providing Tk 3052.80 crores and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is providing Tk 296.62 crores. The project will be implemented by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).
