Govt plans Tk756cr eco-friendly container port at Mawa Ghat
The proposed port will be built on 29.31 acres of land owned by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in the Mawa Ghat area
The government plans to construct an international-standard eco-friendly container port at Mawa Ghat in Munshiganj's Louhajang upazila, at an estimated cost of Tk756 crore.
The proposed port will be built on 29.31 acres of land owned by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in the Mawa Ghat area, said Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain during a joint briefing of five advisers held this afternoon (22 June) at the auditorium of the Dredge Training Institute in Shimulia.
The other advisers present during the event were Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, and Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin.
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Navy Chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan and senior officials from the local administration were also present during the briefing.
Adviser Sakhawat said, "We are currently in the planning stage. It is difficult to say when the project will be implemented. The port will be constructed on the designated area, and the rest of the land will be developed into a tourism centre to enhance the site's beauty."
He further said the initiative will be carried out by the local administration in collaboration with BIWTA. "Since BIWTA does not have its own enforcement force, local police and administration will be responsible for ensuring security in the area," he noted.
According to the plan, several facilities will be developed at the Shimulia terminal area, including a river museum showcasing aquatic life collected from the river, an eco-resort for overnight stays by the riverside, a swimming pool for recreation, a kids' zone, and a reconstructed ferry terminal to preserve the historical significance of the old Shimulia Ghat.
Regarding financing, Sakhawat said, "Most of the investment for the container port will come from the government. For the tourism part, it will be open to public-private partnership. Interested private investors are welcome to invest. If not, the government will bear the full cost."
Also present at the event were Commodore Arif Ahmed Mustafa, chairman of BIWTA; DIG Rezaul Karim Mallick of Dhaka Range Police; Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Fatema Tul Zannat; and Superintendent of Police Muhammad Shamsul Alam Sarkar.
