Work on Barisal river port project begins next month

Work on Barisal river port development project will begin next month at a cost of about Tk 18 crore after procrastination of over a half century since 1964.
Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the project on October 14 this year.
One hundred and fifty years old Barisal river port is the second largest and one of the most profitable ports of the country.
Official sources said, a tender of Tk 3 crore would be floated within this month for construction of a modern terminal building at the port.
The project work would be officially inaugurated by Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan next month. The work is scheduled to be finished within June 30, 2011, said Zulhasuddin Ahmed, project director and superintending engineer of Barisal BIWTA.
The project included construction of a three-storied modern terminal building on 1,554 square metre land, 1500 square metre parking yard, 1200 metre steel boundary and retaining wall, 714 metre walkway, 1,000 square metre cargo shed, 400 square metre transit cargo shed, 120 feet long six pontoons with modern loading and unloading facilities, four steel gangway, passenger lounge and waiting room with health and sanitation facilities, development and maintenance of navigability by regular dredging and beautification of the terminal and adjacent areas of the port.
A fund of Tk 3 crore would also be placed under separate heads for regular dredging of the river port to keep it navigable round the year, said acting shipping secretary M Abdul Mannan Hawlader.
He visited the port recently accompanied by high officials of BIWTA and BIWTC, leaders of Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Launch Owners Association.
Dredging of the Kirtonkhola River surrounding Barisal river port would start within a week, official sources said.
The government made a contract to purchase three dredgers on October 26, 2009 while procurement of another 10 dredgers are under process to maintain the navigability of the river routes round the year, Mannan added.
The port development project, including construction of permanent terminal buildings and other facilities for transportation of passengers and goods was taken up in 1964 by the then EPIWTA, predecesor of present BIWTA, for the five major river ports of the eastern region of the then Pakistan including Dhaka, Barisal, Chandpur, Khulna and Narayanganj.
But due to unknown reason, the project was not implemented in Barisal.