Feasibility study for deep-sea port soon

The government will carry out a feasibility study for installation of a deep sea port to facilitate the handling of deep draught mother vessels that can not enter Chittagong port, highly placed sources said.

A high powered four-member committee headed by Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain was formed recently to run the process, the sources said.

Three other members of the committee included Cabinet Secretary Dr. Shahadat Hossain, Shipping Secretary Ismail Jabiullah and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Shahadat Hossain.

It will take one year to complete both feasibility and economic study.

The feasibility study will be conducted at three locations Kutubdia channel, Sandwip channel and Akram point of Mongla port, the sources said.

Talking to The Daily Star CPA Chairman Shahadat Hossain said " We will launch the feasibility study to select the convenient and acceptable location for setting up a deep sea port."

"But Kutubdia channel may get the priority in the study for installation of such a deep sea port. We will also study the Sandwip channel and Akram point," he said.

"With the completion of total study, the project will be prepared for the deep sea port and it, however, may take time," he said. "If the deep sea port is installed here it will be easier for handling the cargo carried by the mother vessels and cost will come down," he added.

The need for a deep sea port at Kutubdia channel was being felt for over the past ten years with the increase of import and export cargo as the trading activities continued to rise day by day.

A plan for installation of a deep sea port was taken after foreign shipping circles and experts' suggestions on various occasions, port sources said.

But the plan was shelved for years together as it did not get any green signal from the government.

The issue of deep sea port came up for discussion in various meetings and seminars at Chittagong port and higher level of the government.

Now the ship of only 9.2 meter draught can enter Chittagong port jetties for loading and unloading of import and export cargo while the large size mother vessels wait at the outer anchorage near Kutubdia channel for lightering of the cargo, port sources informed.

Some local lighter ships are engaged to carry the cargo from the those mother vessels to the jetties which forces the traders to incur higher costs, port sources said adding that the excess costs were imposed on the goods that raised the prices in the markets.

A senior port official seeking anonymity said, " prices of imported goods will automatically be reduced if handling costs at the deep sea port come down. Besides, the mother vessels will not be required to stay for a long time in case of handling them at the deep sea port."