Govt earns Tk 111cr from land ports: minister

The government earned Tk 111 crore in revenues from the country's land ports this year, much higher from Tk 28 crore in 2009, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said yesterday.

"The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened 11 more land ports in the country," he said at an advisory committee meeting at Benapole port.

The minister said there are 22 land ports in the country, 12 of them are now in operation, he said. "We will inaugurate one more land port by the next month."

The government constructed a passenger terminal equipped with modern services at Benapole land port, he said. "We are also constructing a shed and a terminal for transhipment."

Besides, the government has undertaken a project to construct a truck terminal on a 150-acre land to modernise the land port with funds from the World Bank by 2018, he said.

"Two warehouses, an integrated check post terminal and a four-lane road for internal communication are being constructed at Benapole land port."