Mohiuddin bemoans 'cheating' of Ctg residents

Referring to the decision to build a deep-sea port in Pairabond instead of the pre-declared Sonadia in Cox's Bazar, ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, former Chittagong City Corporation mayor, yesterday alleged that people of Chittagong have been deceived.

He also claimed that the authorities concerned have decided to shift the route of the proposed Asian Highway to Sylhet from Chittagong as well.

Speaking at a press conference, he demanded construction of a link road between Chittagong port and the proposed Asian Highway for development of the country.      

Mohiuddin, also president of the city unit Awami League, said building a deep-sea port in Sonadia was an electoral pledge of the prime minister. To that end, a feasibility study at a huge cost was conducted, which gave the green signal to build the port in Sonadia. He claimed that several experts have said Pairabond does not have proper navigability for a deep-sea port, but despite this it was decided that the port would be built there.   

Mohiuddin said the decision to shift the proposed Asian Highway to Sylhet instead of Chittagong will hamper the plan to transform Chittagong port into a transit port.  

He also alleged that in the name of dredging the Karnaphuli River, a big scam has occurred to make the Chittagong port inefficient, adding that the shipping ministry and its parliamentary standing committee have been silent regarding the process of handing Chittagong port over to the international mafias.

He claimed the port needs to be inefficient for "business" and "financial interest" of these international mafias. 

Alleging that several "big shots" of Chittagong port and officials of the shipping ministry are involved in corruption have links with the mafia, Mohiuddin demanded their suspension. 

He declared that he with public support would resist the "handing over" of Chittagong port to the mafia.