Mongla port appoints Egis India as consultant for upgradation project
The project involving Tk6,014 crore is scheduled to end in July 2024
The Mongla Port Authority has appointed Egis India Consulting Engineers Pvt Ltd as the consultant for the Upgradation of Mongla Port Project, taken to increase the port's capacity to meet the growing demand.
The Mongla Port Authority and Egis India signed an agreement in this regard at a hotel in the capital yesterday.
The project involving Tk6,014 crore is scheduled to end in July 2024.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Of the total project cost, the Bangladesh government will provide Tk1,555 crore while the Indian government will provide Tk4,459 crore as soft loan.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, chief guest at the signing event, said upgradation of Mongla port will take its capacity close to that of Chattogram port. It will be developed as an alternative to Chittagong port.
Along with Bangladesh, the neighboring countries will also benefit from the upgradation as business and trade will expand and employment opportunities will be created, he added.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma, who was a special guest at the event, said Bangladesh is India's largest development partner in terms of financial value and number of projects. About one-fourth of India's global development assistance has been extended to a number of projects across various sectors in Bangladesh.
This strong development cooperation is a reflection of India's commitment to partnership with Bangladesh towards greater growth and prosperity, he said.
He emphasised that various connectivity projects like the one in Mongla port, if completed, would have a transformative impact not only on the India-Bangladesh relationship but also on the economy of the entire region.
The project includes construction of a 600-metre parking yard, a large multistorey garage for car parking, a four-lane road with a drainage system, a shipyard, a flyover and expansion of two jetties with container facilities.
Implementing the upgradation project will enable the Mongla port to handle 1,800 ships, 1.5 million tonnes of cargo, 4 lakh TEUs of containers and 10,000 vehicles annually.
Moreover, it is expected to increase the annual income of the port by Tk150 crore and the income of customs and other agencies by Tk3,000 crore per year.
