S A Shofiee, Sylhet:
After the stone looting that was discussed across the country, the white stone, the daughter of nature, had faded. Nature-loving tourists were in extreme despair. Business collapsed for tourism-related people. In the darkness of such despair, the neighboring Bholaganj Land Port has raised a ray of hope. This land port is getting complete soon. It will become of international standard. There will be various facilities including hospitals, mosques, restaurants. The World Bank is bearing its expenses. There is also talk of a direct spot visit by a World Bank team soon. The neighboring white stone tourist spot is being decorated quickly. The looted stone is being recovered from the water and soil by the joint forces. The work of replacing it is going on rapidly. Multiple sources, including the concerned officials, have given this information.
They say that Bholaganj is being developed as a tourism-friendly port. It is scheduled to be officially inaugurated in the first week of October. Already, 98 percent of the port work has been completed. The last-minute paint and beautification work is underway. On September 28, a delegation from the World Bank, the financing institution, will review the progress on site. The Bholaganj Land Port will start its journey as a full-fledged land port in early October.
Sarwar Alam, project director of the Bholaganj Land Port, said that this port is being developed to be completely tourism-friendly. Restaurants, guesthouses, mosques and medical centers have been built around the white stone tourist center. These will be used not only by those related to the port, but also by locals and tourists. He added that if the port is opened, not only will revenue increase, but the image of the entire area will change.
Abdul Halim, revenue officer of the customs station, said that currently 280 to 300 trucks of limestone arrive every day through the manual process, which takes a lot of time to complete. But if the land port is opened, the customs process of the same amount of trucks can be completed in two and a half to three hours with modern management. This will not only save time, but will also increase the speed of trade and commerce. Indian cargo trucks will enter the port directly, complete the weigh scale and customs, and then exit on the designated route. In this way, using a separate route will not cause any problems for tourists. They will be able to easily cross the port area and reach the white stone wharf.
Jahangir Alam, chairman of Anik Trading Corporation, the contractor responsible for the construction of the facility, said, “I have suffered a loss of about 6-7 crore taka due to looting. Even so, we have completed the work on time.” Rashed Ahmed of the subsidiary Masud Steel said that they have also been able to complete the work before the scheduled time.
Leaders of local business organizations say that if the Bholaganj land port is opened, it will open new horizons not only for business and trade, but also for tourism. Abdul Jalil, president of the Bholaganj Stone Crusher Mill Owners’ Association, said that if the port is opened, the environment of the area will change, tourists will get accommodation and food facilities, and employment will increase for locals.
It is worth noting that the journey of Bholaganj Land Port began in 2005 as a customs station. Limestone import from the Majai area of ​​​​Indian Khasia Hills district started since then. In 2019, the government declared it as the 24th land port of the country. The development work of the port has been implemented by Anik Trading Corporation and Majid Sons and Masud Steel at a cost of about 175 crore taka with the funding of the World Bank. However, there was a long delay in the beginning regarding land acquisition and soil filling. The main construction work began in January 2024. Although the work was disrupted due to the looting of equipment and other materials of the contractor company on August 5 this year, it was quickly resumed and completed ahead of schedule.
The under-construction Bholaganj Land Port has completed the work of a huge modern cafeteria, a beautiful mosque, a glass-enclosed two-story port building, a three-story multi-agency building, a guesthouse, two dormitories and a clinic. Each establishment is connected by a separate entrance. Although surrounded by walls, the establishments have been placed in separate places so that there is no inconvenience to the users. Preparations are also underway to plant trees in the empty space of the port. Car parking, medical facilities, food and accommodation have been made available for tourists. As a result, people visiting Saada Patar will easily get these facilities.
