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Highlighting Awami League’s commitment to the country, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said on Saturday that Sheikh Hasina would never do anything ignoring the interest of the country.
“We’ve not made a deal to sell the country and won’t do so. Sheikh Hasina will never do anything leaving aside the interest of the country,” he asserted.
State Minister Khalid said this as the chief guest while addressing the opening ceremony of ‘installation and handing over’ of export-oriented cargo container scanners attached to the security system of Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) adjacent to Gate No 4 of Chattogram Port.
He said that Sheikh Hasina thinks holistically and her government will do nothing which goes against the interest of the country.
Addressing foreign investment to the country, Khalid Mahmud informed that 'brotherly country' Saudi Arabia has invested for operation of Patenga Container Terminal in Chattogram Port while some countries are in pipeline to invest which will make the country’s economy stronger.
The state minister informed that their utmost efforts are on to maintain the international standard of the Chattogram port following the ‘International Ship and Port Facility Security Code’.
He said the Chattogram Port has been developed as a time-befitting port with the installation of modern security equipment to call this port a safe port in the international arena.
Not only this port, but also Mongla, Payra and others ports, are being digitalised, where scanners will be set up, the state minister for shipping informed.
He informed that the country’s first and prime port has been moving ahead with the cooperation from all including stakeholders and it touched a new milestone of improvement through breaking the previous record of cargo handling.
Addressing the efficiency of the two scanners set up at a cost of Tk 86 crore, he said each would be able to scan 150 containers per hour.
He informed that the operation of the Patenga Container Terminal has already begun while construction work of green port ‘Bay Terminal’ is underway.
The 12-metre depth and 280-metre length vessels having capacity of containing 6,000 containers will be able to anchor in sea once the Bay Terminal starts functioning.
Narrating the facilities of the scanners, the state minister said transit and transshipment in transporting goods to neighbouring countries will increase due to the scanners, he said, hoping that it will play a pivotal role in the improvement of the country's economy.
To reap the benefits of the timely steps taken by the present government to implement the vision of a developed and prosperous smart Bangladesh by 2041, the scanners were added to the security fleet of the port which will accelerate the shipping process of export goods, reduce container congestion in the port, facilitate legitimate trade, prevent the export of illegal and risky goods.
Moreover, it will help to play a leading role in implementing consistent and effective measures.
Under the project, two container scanners, two sets of radioactive portal monitors and scanned image monitoring centres and real-time CCTV and image monitoring systems have been set up at two export-oriented gates.
As a result, through effective enforcement and voluntary compliance in cargo exports, it will be possible to prevent interference by conventional persons in the existing cargo testing system.
Charied by Chattogram Port Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail, Senior Secretary of the Shipping Ministry Md Mostafa Kamal, Project Director and the port’s Director (security) Lt Col Mostafa Arifur Rahman Khan, among others spoke on the occasion.
