Bangladesh
Mongla Port Big ships to dock at Mongla port
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, 20 March 2024: After the inauguration of Padma Bridge, pressure is increasing on Mongla, the country's second sea port. Import-export trade has begun. Due to the benefit of the bridge, the garment industry products are also going to different European countries through this port, which is the closest to the capital. Car imports have increased.
In addition, new industries have been built around the port. But the port authority is in trouble. The draft (water depth) around the harbor is only 7 meters. As a result, large ships are unable to enter this port. Mongla Port Authority has taken a grand plan to accommodate large mother vessels. A project worth Tk 1,550 crore is being taken up for the handling of ships with a draft of 9.5 to 10 meters at the jetty of Mongla Port.
Mongla Port Authority says that after the launch of Padma Bridge, the pressure is gradually increasing in Mongla Port. The Port Authority has taken initiatives to increase the capacity of Mongla Port to handle the pressure. As part of this, development of vessel traffic management information system for port users, installation of surface water treatment plant, renovation of container yard, 23 km dredging of inner bar of animal channel of port and modernization of waste management are underway. According to the Mongla Port Authority, a project of Tk 1,550 crore has to be taken to keep the channel operational. As per the recommendation of IMED, the project of 'Preservation Dredging in Animal Channel of Mongla Port' is being taken up to maintain the navigability for five years.
According to the concerned sources, the Mongla Port Authority has already sent the proposal to the Planning Commission. According to the proposal sent to the Planning Commission, through performance based conservation dredging, navigable conservation of Mongla Port's animal channel and dredging of 347.5 million cubic meters will be done in five years at various places in the animal channel. Mongla is the nearest port to Dhaka. I have also adopted a five-year plan for this. We will buy modern dredger in that sequence.
