Bangladesh

'Ganga Vilas' will take India-Bangladesh relationship to unique heights: Minister of State for Shipping Ganga Vilas
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'Ganga Vilas' will take India-Bangladesh relationship to unique heights: Minister of State for Shipping

Bangladesh Live News | @banglalivenews | 27 Jan 2023, 12:18 pm

Dhaka, January 27: State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said that the luxury tourist ship 'Ganga Vilas' will take the India-Bangladesh relationship to a unique height.

He said that the opponents of 'Ganga Vilas' coming to Bangladesh do not want to develop relations with the neighboring country.

The Deputy Commissioner (DC) told reporters after the second session of the third and last day of the conference at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Thursday. The working session of the DCs was held with the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Shipping.

The Minister of Maritime Affairs said that we have given two instructions to the District Commissioners. BIWTA's approval should be taken for those bridges which are of low height. Let them (DC) supervise this matter.

He said, another thing is that the ship 'Ganga Vilas' from India will go to Assam via Bangladesh. It will cross Khulna Koira on February 3. After completing customs immigration there, we will welcome them at Mongla port on February 5. They will go to India through many tourist areas and districts. I have told the District Administrators that they should closely monitor this matter.

The state minister also said that this is a great opportunity for our tourism sector. In addition, India-Bangladesh relations will also reach unique heights. For this reason, I have asked the District Commissioners and Divisional Commissioners to work very sincerely.

Environmentalists have expressed fear that the 'Ganga Vilas' ship will be very harmful to nature - when attention was drawn to this, the state minister said, if we accept this, we will have to go back to primitive times. Economy through sea trade all over the world... Why do we call Chittagong port the lifeline of our economy? This shipping is due to import-export.

Khalid Mahmud said, how will tourism be! This is how tourism works. Those who are saying these things are saying these things because our relations with neighboring countries should not be improved, as if there is a deficit in relations. They do not talk about the development of the country. It was this cycle that prevented Rampal from talking about the environment. The depth we are building at Mongla port will accommodate ships with a draft of 9.5 meters. But it is being opposed.