News Flash
CHATTOGRAM, May 8, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said the interim government will must protect the country's interest and local workforce while engaging foreign operators for handling existing and proposed container terminals.
"The country's interest will be given top priority in involving global port operators in our port sectors who have good track record in this field and the entire process will be accomplished in a transparent manner" he told a press conference this afternoon after daylong visit to the existing and proposed sites of container terminals and port facilities here.
Held at local circuit house conference room, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam, Chattogram Port Authority Chairman Real Admiral S M Moniruzzaman, Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanom and Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, among others, spoke.
Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud said the interim government has been focusing on overall development of port and shipping sectors particularly enhancing the efficiency and capacity of ports as government believe that it is the main pre-requisite to achieve its vision to turn the country into a global manufacturing hub.
"We think Dhaka is our administrative capital but Chattogram is center point of our economic development due to its strategically important location and potentiality" he said.
Apart from prioritizing on capacity and efficiency improvement of port facilities, he said the government has a plan at the same time to make available the gas and power supply and required infrastructures.
Replying to a query, he said, "Skill of our local workforce has to be improved to cater the demand of global port operators besides protecting rights and ensuring their welfare".
In another question, he said steps to be taken to remove and reduce gradually the existing irregularities and malpractice by port centric nexuses.
