IDB to invest $129 million to build Single Point Mooring System

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=86830

IDB to invest $129 million to build Single Point Mooring System
FE Report

Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will invest $129 million in Bangladesh for the establishment of a Single Point Mooring System (SPM) near Kutubdia Island for the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation-owned Eastern Refinery Ltd.

IDB Board of Executive Directors approved the single largest investment in Bangladesh at its 263rd meeting on December 12 in Jeddah, said a press release Sunday.

The press release, signed by IDB Field Representative in Bangladesh Farook uz Zaman, said the SPM would prevent any spillage of crude oil and Refined Petroleum Products (RPP) while unloading large tankers.

The system will promote eco-friendly technology and ensure cleaner environment for the coastal waters of Bangladesh, the press release said.

The SPM will also eliminate losses due to decanting by feeder vessels and demurrage charges levied by large vessels at the outer anchorage due to delay in unloading crude oil and RPP, the IDB press release added.

Four satellite towns to be built around the capital

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=153440

Four satellite towns to be built around the capital
STAFF REPORTER

The government plans to set up four satellite towns, each having 1,00,000 apartments, around the capital city of Dhaka to cope with the pressure of accommodation for the rapidly growing urban population.

The satellite towns with high-rise buildings will be developed on a total of 590 square kilometer area under the Dhaka Details Area Plan, already approved at a high-powered meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

“The gazette notification in this regard might be issued within a week,” State Minister for Housing and Public Works Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan said while addressing a roundtable on “Green Urbanization” at CIRDAP auditorium yesterday.
The plan for vertical growth of township was undertaken on apprehension of a catastrophe that there would not be even one bigha of land available for cultivating paddy in the next 50-70 years due to unplanned urbanization, he added.

Revealing the plan for satellite towns, he said the government was trying to come out of the culture of allocating plots and embark on developing high-rise buildings to allocate flats considering the rapid growth of  urban  population.

Energy and Power, the country’s first and only fortnightly magazine in the energy sector, in association with German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) organized the roundtable as part of a series in promoting green energy and energy-efficient technology in the country.

BUET associate professor Shamim Ara Hassan presented the keynote paper while experts in urban designing and development, housing and energy sectors took part in the discussion.

Energy and Power editor Mollah Amzad Hossain moderated the roundtable while GTZ-SED senior Advisor Dr Khursheed Ul Islam gave address of welcome.

Speakers at the roundtable hoped that the satellite towns and vertical urbanization would be environment-friendly and energy efficient.

The state minister said uncultivated, infertile and less-productive lands from the capital to upazilla level would also be brought under the government control to develop multi-story housing facilities for the teeming millions in a planned manner through public-private partnership.

He made it clear that the existing canals, large and big water bodies, ponds and other natural water bodies would not be destroyed while developing the housing facilities with vertical growth. Rather, they would be re-excavated and maintained to use them as reservoir for rain waters.

The rooftops of the buildings would also be utilized as reservoir for rain waters, he added.

He further said that the planned high-rise buildings under the new plan would not depend completely on the electricity from the national grid, but they would be designed in a manner that will have alternative energy options like solar power considering the energy crisis in the country.

He called upon all concerned to work unitedly to create awareness among the people about the environment that already is taking the toll on the human beings. “A nation cannot progress without having minimum consciousness about the environment,” he noted.

Taking part in the discussion, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) member Salahud Din Ahmed said that the BERC had personal level discussion with Rajdhani Unnayan  Kartipakkha (RAJUK) to examine the possibility of imposing on high-rise buildings taking certain percentage of energy from alternative sources. The possibility would be further examined through formal discussion whether RAJUK could incorporate a provision in this regard into the building code, he added.

Waterbuses on circular waterway by June

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=117390

Waterbuses on circular waterway by June
Staff Correspondent

The government will introduce waterbuses to ply the waterway around the capital from June next year with a view to making the route effective and reducing traffic congestion in the city.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan made the remark as the chief guest yesterday while addressing an inaugural function of a new bus service launched by Kanak Paribahan.

He said the plan for running waterbuses has already been approved and initially the service will be provided on Sadarghat-Ashulia route.

The government is going to start cleaning up the bed of River Buriganga manually from January 1, he added.

“We have lost the ecological balance of the rivers in the country and are trying to revitalise those,” he noted.

Besides, he said the government has a plan of purchasing 17 dredgers and it has already signed a contract to buy three dredgers.

The number of big buses should be increased as a replacement for small buses that can help reduce traffic congestion, he said. The government is also considering making a guideline on registration of new cars in the city, he added.

Responding to a request by lawmaker Ilias Molla for setting up a terminal at Mirpur-12, Shahjahan said he would try his best to set up the terminal if the lawmaker could manage land for it.

Lawmaker Ilias Molla, lawmaker Shaheda Akhtar, Chairman of Kanak Paribahan Ltd Ashraf A Rahman and managing director Azizur Rahman Shibu, among others, addressed the programme.

Kanak Paribahan introduced five buses yesterday for Pallabi-Abdullahpur route and they will run a total of 25 buses on that route shortly.

Spl ferry service on Mawa route to transport RMG products to Mongla port

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=86358

Spl ferry service on Mawa route to transport RMG products to Mongla port

FE Report

The government will arrange a special ferry service on Mawa-Kawrakandi route exclusively for the readymade garment manufacturers to help them transport their products to Mongla port, thus reducing pressure on the over-burdened Chittagong port.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said “RMG manufacturers often fail to reach Chittagong port on time because of traffic congestion and this special ferry service will help to ease the problem when shipments are made through Mongla port.”

“The distance from Dhaka to Chittagong is 300 km where as Dhaka to Khulna is around 140 km so this ferry will save a lot of time of RMG makers,” he told reporters after meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at his office in secretariat on Tuesday.

He said, “We may reduce different charges of Chittagong port by 150 per cent after discussing with the port authorities.”

“We have taken legal opinion to reduce Chittagong port charges which was increased by 100 to 300 percent during the tenure of the last caretaker government.”

The demand of BGMEA leaders to reduce the port charge is logical because the last government increased the rate abruptly making it a burden on RMG manufacturers,”

The Shipping Minister said: “A team will visit different ports in the developed countries between January 15 and 18 and we will try to implement the experiences to improve Bangladesh’s port operation.”

Dhaka-Ctg highway to turn into 4 lanes

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=116882

Dhaka-Ctg highway to turn into 4 lanes
Tk 1,655 crore project to complete in 3 years
Star Report

The cabinet purchase committee yesterday finally approved a proposal to award contracts to three bidders to turn the Dhaka-Chittagong highway into four lanes from two lanes after four years of procedural hurdles and two failed tenders.

The approval was made at a committee meeting presided over by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

It will take three years to construct the lanes running up to 230 kilometres at a cost of Tk 1,655 crore after agreements between the communication ministry and these companies are signed.

Once the lanes are constructed, travel time on this highway will be reduced by two hours.

The cost offered by the bidders is about Tk 100 crore less than the lowest cost offered in the previous tender with participation of only local companies.

Besides, the first and second tenders did not include bituminous surfacing of the highway, which has been incorporated this time.

The major part of the construction will be done by Chinese company Sinohydro Corporation.

The project will be financed by Japan under the Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF).

The communication ministry’s bid to award the job to contractors had been frustrated by flawed tender process and lawsuits by some local bidders since 2005.

The ministry initiated a pre-qualification process for having suitable bidders in January after cancellation of two tender processes.

The third tender was finally floated on June 10 this year in which 18 local and international contractors took part. The bidders filed their proposals on September 8.

There are 10 different construction segments in the project. Of them, Sinohydro will construct seven involving Tk 1,150 crore, local company Reza Construction two segments involving Tk 324 crore and Taher Brothers Ltd-Al-Amin Construction Ltd Joint Venture (TBL-ACL joint venture) one segment worth Tk 172 crore.

“This tender process went though close scrutiny and is completely transparent,” said Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain.

The construction work can start very soon as the government has already made a budgetary allocation of Tk 200 crore for it.

The third tender process was successful because competent bidders, not local bidders were prioritised, said the ministry sources. Besides, participation from international bidders were encouraged by keeping the provision of payment up to 40 percent in foreign currency.

Participation of bidders nearly doubled this time than the previous one.

The Dhaka-Chittagong highway, considered as the major artery of the country’s transport system, now takes a load of 19,000 heavy and other types of transports. It increases by 10 percent every year.

The committee also approved the proposals for appointment of consultants for the Water Management Project, design and supervision of Emergency 2007 Cyclone Recovery and Restoration Project and inviting tender to construct roads and drainage system for Purbachal project.

Govt for road, rail links with China through Kunming

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/dec/06/front.html#15

Govt for road, rail links with China through Kunming
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka

The government is taking initiative to establish road and rail communications between Bangladesh and China through Kunming for trans-border transportation between the two countries.

The communications minister, Syed Abul Hossain, who is on a five-member delegation of the ruling Awami League now visiting China, proposed the road and railway links during a meeting Friday in Kunming with a delegation of Yunnan provincial unit of the Communist Party of China led by its secretary Comrade Li Han Bie.

‘The Chinese delegation showed their keen interest about the proposal,’ said a message received in Dhaka Saturday.

It said the provincial government of Yunnan also agreed to send a proposal to the Chinese central government for initiating a feasibility study in this regard under the aegis of the ministries concerned of the two countries.

The Awami League delegation also invited the Chinese Communist Party delegation to visit Bangladesh at a time of their convenience.

Led by the Awami League general secretary, Syed Ashraful Islam, the delegation is passing a busy time holding meetings and exchanging views with the heads of provincial committees of the Communist Party of China.

Govt plans $3 billion PPP project to develop Mongla Port

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/dec/03/front.html#1

Govt plans $3 billion PPP project to develop Mongla Port

Mustafizur Rahman

The government on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with a foreign company for development and commercial operation of the much-neglected Mongla Port in the country’s south-western region on public-private partnership with a foreign direct investment worth $ three billion.

‘We have decided to develop and run Mongla Port on a public-private partnership basis. The management of the port will be handed over to a foreign operator to improve its services and infrastructural facilities after one year,’ shipping minister Shajahan Khan said at the MoU signing ceremony at the ministry.

The management and infrastructure of the port would be developed in keeping with the international standards under a 20-year project with an estimated cost of Tk 21,000 crore, he said adding that the port, now a losing concern for the government, had been neglected for years.

Mongla Port Authority chairman commodore M Farooque and Singapore-based David Wignall Associates’ managing director David Wignall singed the MoU to conduct a study within a year on the sea port located in south-western Bagerhat district.

The David Wignall Associates, a specialist consultancy that serves the maritime industry by advising owners, operators and investors of shipyards, ports and terminals worldwide, will submit a detailed report and proposal to the authority for developing the port into a major regional hub within 20 years.

David Wignall said the company would look forward to further development of the port which, he believed, would help create more scope for the country’s economic growth.

Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury, Khulna mayor Talukdar Abdul Khaleque, among others, spoke at the singing ceremony.

‘We will sign an agreement with the company after completion of the study for commercial operation of the port… Power plants, industrial parks, container terminals and water treatment plants would be established under the project to be implemented in three phases. It will also ensure channel dredging during the project period,’ the minister said.

Replying to a query, Shajahan Khan said the Awami League-led government would protect the interest of the country in all respects while singing the deal with any foreign company.

He said the project would bring in a foreign direct investment to the tune of Tk 21,000 crore, one of the biggest investments, and create job opportunities for tens of thousands of people in the south-western part of the country.

‘This will also increase government revenue by expanding port usage, economic development and transit trade to and from India, China, Nepal and Bhutan,’ the shipping minister hoped.

Mongla Port is the country’s second seaport situated in south-western Bangladesh, at the confluence of the River Passur and Mongla, about 131 kms upstream from the Bay of Bengal.

Lafarge Surma signs MoU with IMA

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=151372

Lafarge Surma signs MoU with IMA
ECONOMIC REPORTER

The country’s largest and the only integrated dry processing cement plant Lafarge Surma Cement (LSC) Ltd. signed a MoU with International Maritime Academy (IMA) at its Head office in Dhaka recently.

Under this agreement, IMA will exclusively use Supercrete cement, produced by Lafarge Surma in their project. Besides, Lafarge Surma will also help enhancing and partnering construction safety at the academy’s sites, says a press release.

Kazi Khalid Mahmood, commercial director of Lafarge Surma and captain Kazi Ahad, principal of International Maritime Academy signed the MoU on behalf of Lafarge Surma and IMA respectively.

Mahmood expressed that Lafarge Surma will continue to contribute to such developments and Ahad also ensured that his projects are constructed with international standards and design.

Japan transferring new tech for facing earthquake damage

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/21/news0140.htm

Japan transferring new tech for facing earthquake damage
BSS, Dhaka

Japan, one of most earthquake vulnerable countries around the globe, has decided to transfer its retrofit technique of constructing buildings to Bangladesh and equip the nation to minimize damage from possible high-intensity earthquake.

Retrofitting technique is applied to a building as an extra protection with additional support of shear wall or steel amid experts’ assessment that Bangladesh faces a high risk of moderate to strong earthquakes that may result in widespread damage and loss of thousands of lives.

The Japan government will transfer the technology here through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under one of its technical assistance programme, Project Formulation Officer of Disaster Mitigation and Climate Change wing of JICA Bangladesh Hideki Katayama told BSS.

“Our government has decided to take the initiative to help Bangladesh protecting its important establishments like government building, hospitals and fire stations from high- intensity earthquake so that effective rescue operation can be conducted after the disaster,” he said.

Katayama said all important buildings in Japan are retrofitted, a modification technique of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes, he said.

A JICA team with expertise of retrofitting techniques will be deployed here by January next to transfer the technology to the local engineers, he said.

JICA Disaster Management and Climate Change Programme officer M Anisuzzaman Chowdhury said the JICA expert team is expecting to make retrofitting at one building of secretariat, one fire station and one hospital as pilot basis.

“During the pilot programme, the Japanese experts will provide theoretical and practical training to the local engineers about the technique,” he said adding after transferring the technology the Bangladesh government will decide that at how many public buildings would be under retrofit technology.

According to a seismic zoning map prepared by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), 43 percent areas in Bangladesh are rated high risk, 41 percent moderate and 16 percent low.

Cement makers look to brighter days

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=114342

Cement makers look to brighter days
Kawsar Khan

Local cement makers see bright prospects for the days to come as the government plans to embark on some big civil engineering projects in Bangladesh, including the Padma Bridge.

Some local companies are enhancing their production capacity, as domestic demand has consistently been on the rise for the past few years, except for 2007, along with increasing government initiatives, sector people said.

The government plans to complete construction of the 6.15-kilometre long Padma Bridge, which will be the largest civil engineering project of Bangladesh, and Dhaka-Chittagong express highway in its tenure.

The government’s plans to set up several flyovers in Dhaka under the strategic transport plan and build 142 bridges across the country are expected to bring vibrancy to the cement sector.

“As local companies have improved a great deal in the last few years, construction firms are now collecting cement from local sources for big public projects,” said Gopal Krishna Bagchi, a researcher and development official of Shun Sing Group, which manufactures the Seven Rings brand cement.

The sector people said local cement was used in a few recent public construction projects, including the Bhairab Bridge, and the Sixth Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge (Mukterpur Bridge) in Munshiganj.

But local cement makers were not in the same condition 10 years ago.

During the construction of Bangabandhu Bridge on the Jamuna river, the constructing firm — Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co Ltd — had to set up a cement factory of its own to ensure cement supply to the mega project.

The local cement sector has since come a long way, meeting domestic demand and exporting to neighbouring countries.

Presently there are 30 operational cement companies that can produce around 20 million tonnes of cement a year against a demand for 8.5 million tonnes.

“Assuming high domestic demand in future, we are expanding our production capacity to meet requirements ” said Bagchi.

An official of Holcim (Bangladesh) Ltd said the company was also expanding its production capacity by 0.6 million tonnes due to consistent consumption and export growth.

“Cement consumption in Bangladesh is expected to witness growth of 13 percent in 2009, rising from 8 percent last year,” said Shankar Kumar Roy, general manager (Business Development) of Holcim.

Mostafa Kamal, president of Bangladesh Cement Manufacturing Association, said though cement consumption is growing, local manufacturers have to keep a large portion of their factories idle, as “local factories will be able to produce in full swing when those public construction works begin”.

Kamal urged the government to give local cement manufacturers the same facilities as for the foreign companies for supplying cement to the public projects.

During construction of Bangabandhu Bridge, the government offered duty free facilities to the constructing firm to import machinery and raw materials for cement.

“All cement companies might not be able to supply cement to big public projects for not having large production and supply capacities,” Bagchi said.

Bangladesh exports around 12,000-14,000 tonnes of cement a month, mainly to India.

kawsar@thedailystar.net

Deep-sea port: Foundation laying in Dec 2010

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/17/news0779.htm

Deep-sea port: Foundation laying in Dec 2010

Staff Reporter

The foundation stone of the much-talked-about Sonadia deep-sea port will be laid in December 2010. The decision came at a meeting at the Shipping Ministry yesterday.

The meeting decided to form an eight-member committee in this regard.

Commodore Reazuddin Ahmed, Chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) will head the committee while AKM Saifullah, former director general of department of Shipping will be member secretary of the committee.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan presided over the meeting. Abdul Mannan Hawlader, acting secretary of the Shipping Ministry and high officials of the concerned departments were present.

The committee would submit design and develop a project profile of the seaport, and suggest appointment of consultant by December 31 of the current year.

The construction work of the deep-sea port will be accomplished in three phases.

The first phase construction work of the deep-sea port at Maheskahli upazila in Cox’s Bazar would cost approximately Tk 15 thousand crore. The work is expected to be completed by 2016.

Govt to lay Tk 5.9b gas pipeline in s-w region

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/11/07/83637.html

Govt to lay Tk 5.9b gas pipeline in s-w region

FHM Humayan Kabir

The government will lay 845-kilometre pipeline at a cost of Tk 5.9 billion to supply gas to the southwestern region and run 1150-megawatt (mw) capacity proposed and existing power units, and other consumers, officials said.

The state-run energy corporation — Petrobangla — has said that natural gas supply through the pipeline would help boost economy of the less developed southwestern Khulna region.

The corporation has recently sent the project proposal to the planning ministry to get approval of the government’s highest project review body ECNEC.

After getting the nod of the ECNEC, the Petrobangla will start laying the pipeline from January next year and complete its work by December 2012.

The pipeline will supply gas to Khulna, Jessore, Bagerhat, Kushtia and Jhenidah districts.

A senior Petrobangla official said his organisation will be able to supply gas to the existing 110mw and 60mw power units in Khulna and to another 60mw unit at Bheramara, now running by diesel and furnace oil, through the pipeline.

Besides, the planned 210mw and 110mw power plants in Khulna and 450mw plant at Bheramara will also get gas connection after completion of the pipeline installation, he told the FE.

“We are hopeful that the country’s gas production will go up by 400 million cubic feet from its existing and new gas fields by 2012. So, there will be no problem to supply gas to the southwestern region,” the official said.

Absence of gas and adequate power supply are the major barriers to the development of the country’s south and north-western regions.

Poverty rate in southwestern Khulna is the second highest in the country as its poverty incidence is five per cent higher over the average 40 per cent rate of Bangladesh.

The government has also started laying transmission and distribution pipelines for supplying gas to the country’s another economically underdeveloped north-western region Rajshahi.

The project is expected to be complete by June 2011, Petrobangla officials said.

The director of Petrobangla said out of the Tk5.9 billion cost for the 845-km pipeline to Khulna region, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide US$40 million (Tk2.80 billion) and the rest of the fund will be mobilised from the local resources.

The official said: “Some small and medium industries have already been set up in the southwestern region. If we can ensure gas supply, those will run smoothly and heavy industries will also be set up there.”

Fiber@ Home, AB bank strike deal to expand optical fiber network

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=147777

Fiber@ Home, AB bank strike deal to expand optical fiber network

Economic Reporter

An agreement was signed between the Fiber @ Home Limited and the AB Bank Limited at Hotel Sonargaon in order to expand the common transmission network on optical fiber on Wednesday last.

Managing director (MD) of Fiber @ home limited Moinul Huq Siddiqui and MD of AB Bank limited signed the agreement, said a press release issued by Abbas Faruque, Manager (PR) of Fiber @Home Ltd.

Under the agreement, the AB Bank Limited, Infrastructure Development Company (IDCOL), Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited, IDLC Finance Ltd and Saudi-Bangladesh Industrial and Agricultural Investment Company Limited (SABINCO) will invest a total of Tk 65 crore for the Fiber @ home Limited.

According to the release, Fiber @ home Limited will start to establish infrastructure of information technology at the grass root level with a view to make a digital Bangladesh. The first license of Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) was given to the Fiber @ Home Limited for building ‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021, which was committed by the new government led by Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.

Providing NTTN license would definitely help expansion of telecommunication network across the country, the release said. With the completion of NTTN, rural people would be connected with telecommunication and internet network, and internet penetration would be increased to a greater extent.

Besides, it would remove overhead cable hazards in urban areas.

Densely populated cities of the country would be brought under the network within a short time and the facilities would reach at least 20 upazilas by the next one year and the company will set up and run optical fibre-based NTTN which will help telecom service providers to give service up to ‘end users’.

As per the NTTN guideline, a licensee requires to submit a bank guarantee as security deposit worth Tk 100 million in favour of the BTRC within 15 days of issuance of licence with minimum validity of five years, release added.

Cox’s Bazar airport set for expansion

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=111153

Cox’s Bazar airport set for expansion
Sohel Parvez and Sayeda Akhter

The government has moved to expand the runway of Cox’s Bazar airport, aiming to upgrade it to international standards and offer foreign holidaymakers a hassle-free trip to the world’s longest unbroken sea beach.

“We have taken steps to expand the runway at Cox’s Bazar airport and develop other facilities,” GM Quader, the civil aviation and tourism minister, told The Daily Star recently.

Airliners and tour operators welcomed the move but said the government should also develop other tourism-related infrastructure and recreation facilities to lure overseas tourists.

Officials of the ministry however said the government had planned to develop an exclusive tourism zone for foreign tourists, refurbish the golf course to international standards and establish a cricket stadium in the beach town.

In line with the move to upgrade the airport, its runway will be expanded from 6,775 feet to 9,000 feet long and the width from 125 feet to 200 feet. Various navigational instruments will be installed, with the total cost estimated at Tk 302 crore.

Shafique Alam Mehdi, secretary in charge of the civil aviation and tourism ministry, said they completed the primary preparations. The organogram for the project has also been approved.

“We will send the proposal to the planning ministry next week for approval.”

The expansion will enable wide-bodied aircraft, such as the Airbus 310, to land at the airport. It will also allow foreign tourists to come to Cox’s Bazar by chartering aircraft, officials said.

The project, as per the proposal, is expected to be completed by June 2012, if work begins this fiscal year.

“We want to declare the Cox’s Bazar airport as an international airport after the runway is expanded. Now we aim to begin work as soon as possible,” said Quader.

In the second phase of development, the terminal building and other necessary facilities will be established, he added.

The attempt to upgrade the airport comes as Bangladesh tries to boost its hospitality industry by promoting its natural wonders, such as the sea beach, the coral island of St Martin’s and the mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, to global tourists who are visiting Bangladesh at an increasing rate every year.

For the past several years, the inflow of foreign tourists to one of the low cost tourism destination of Bangladesh more than doubled — from two lakh in 2005 to 4.67 lakh in 2008 — according to the civil aviation and tourism ministry.

The majority comes to visit Cox’s Bazar, the Sundarbans and Sylhet. Operators said the developed airport would enable foreigners to fly direct to the beach town.

“The thought behind the expansion is positive. It will encourage airlines to open direct flights from abroad to the tourism spot. However, unless various other facilities for tourists are created, it may not be sustainable,” said Captain Tasbirul Ahmed Choudhury, chairman and managing director of three-fleet carrier United Airways Ltd, operating four flights a week from Cox’s Bazar.

He also stressed the need to create 24-hour landing and take-off facilities for aircraft and establish refuelling stations to enable carriers to plan convenient flights.

Foreign carriers operate from two airports — Dhaka and Chittagong — with the airport in Sylhet failing to attract foreign airliners because of an absence of refuelling facilities.

Taufiq Uddin Ahmed, president of Tour Operators’ Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), echoed Choudhury suggestions and said the government should take immediate measures to develop adequate infrastructure to attract tourist.

“Otherwise, extending the runway or turning it to an international airport will not make any difference,” he said. He also recommended branding Bangladesh properly as a holiday destination.

Tk 3.75b Karnaphuli dredging project approved

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/10/24/82431.html

Tk 3.75b Karnaphuli dredging project approved

Jasim Uddin Haroon

The government has approved the Karnaphuli river capital dredging project worth Tk 3.75billion to keep the country’s most important channel navigable for vessels and enhance anchorage capacity of Chittagong port, shipping ministry officials told the FE.

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), which handles nearly 90 per cent of the country’s US$37 billion foreign trade, will now engage consultant for preparing tender document and other relevant jobs for the biggest ever dredging work.

“We’ve received an approval letter Thursday. Now, we will hire consultant for the execution of the project,” Khademul Bashar, a senior official who is familiar with the project told the FE Thursday.

“Dredging of the Karnaphuli river has become necessary if we want to ensure smooth operation of the Chittagong Port,” an official at the planning department said.

Besides, it will generate large amount of revenue for the port authority, as at least 300 coaster vessels will be able to anchor there.

Currently, coaster vessels anchor at the mouth of Karnaphuli, which hinder smooth operation of ocean ships.

“Once we finish the dredging, ships won’t have to be worried about running aground. They will be able to move freely. Besides, we will recover 50 acres of lands worth Tk 3.0 billion thorough dredging process,” he added.

Under the project, CPA said it would also build a concrete ‘marine drive’ on the right bank of Karnaphuli river to facilitate smooth inland transportation of cargoes.

The length of the marine drive will be 2.5 kilometres on the north bank of the river of Karnaphuli.

“It will beautify the port to a great extent and attract more tourists in the city,” said Khademul Bashar, who is a CPA’s deputy estate manager.

The port took up the massive project some four years back after silts filled up around two and a half kilometers stretch of the river between the key Kalurghat and Sadarghat area in the port city.

A major part of the estuary has since become a restricted area for big ocean going vessels, hampering trade and escalating cost of freight.

The project will be self-financed by the CPA. Earlier, Japanese government wanted to provide a fund worth Tk 740 million for the project, but it later withdrew the money due to delay in project implementation.

Earlier, Chittagong Port conducted such dredging of the estuary of the river Karnaphuli twice. One was done in 1981 by a Holland-based company and other was in 1990 by a Chinese company — China Harbour.

The CPA in 2007 floated tender for the planned project, but it was later cancelled mainly because of irregularities in the tender procedures.