The government signed an addendum agreement with a Japanese firm on Sunday to start the second phase of the feasibility study on the proposed deep-sea port to be built at Sonadia Island.

Nobuaki Nagao, team leader of Pacific Consultants International (PCI) of Japan, and Abdul Matin, joint secretary to the shipping ministry, signed the agreement.

The same consultant who completed the first phase of the project is now scheduled to complete its second phase by the next 12 months.

After a period of unwillingness to continue with the project, the present caretaker government has decided to revive the project.

As per the agreement, PCI will work on the second phase of the feasibility study in association with four other foreign and local consulting firms, namely, Asian Engineering Consultants Corporation Ltd of Thailand, Dexterous Consultants Ltd, JPZ Consulting (BD) Ltd, and Devconsultants Ltd (Bangladesh).

The consultants will carryout techno-economic feasibility study of the mega deep-sea port project, to be completed at a cost of Tk 42,000 crore in three phases by 2055.

The deep-sea port is planned to have 58 jetties of 11-kilometre length.

The Japanese consulting firm will prepare a report with its recommendation on facilities and details of the infrastructure and services to be provided, ministry sources added.

The firm will identify key regulatory, legal, institutional design, reform measures and incentives (fiscal or otherwise) needed to attract private investors to invest and operate different segments of the deep sea port project in accordance with the Bangladesh Private Sector Infrastructure Guidelines and assess environmental and social impacts and the amount of investments required to reduce the project's harmful impacts on environment.

The firm will also examine the potential for using the deep-sea port for transshipment, estimate cost involved or investments needed for the development of the port in its different phases.

Cabinet Committee on Purchase approved a contract worth taka 140 million ($2.33 million) with the Japanese firm in June 2006 to conduct the first phase of feasibility study. The firm already submitted to the government its report on the first phase of the feasibility study.

In its first report the Japanese consultant suggested to set up the deep sea port at Sonadia Island, located between Cox's Bazar town and Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal, which could be connected to the mainland by bridges and tunnels, and road and railway lines could also be established for the purpose of carrying cargo to the mainland, the report said.

The report identified Kutubdia Channel as the second most suitable place in its feasibility study for the multi-billion dollar port.

jasim@thedailystar.net