Staff Reporter :
Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain, Adviser to the Ministries of Shipping and Labour & Employment, has said that introducing foreign management at Chattogram Port is essential for its modernization and to attract greater investment.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters on Saturday morning after inaugurating the newly modernized Nagarbari River Port in Pabna.
“Those who have personal interests oppose the idea, claiming we are ‘handing over’ Chattogram Port to foreigners,” said Dr Sakhawat. “But how are we handing it over? Don’t we already have foreign companies in sectors like garments and others? Around the world, many ports are run under foreign management — and those countries are benefiting significantly.”
He further emphasized that Chattogram Port is still not a fully modern facility. “To modernize operations and boost employment opportunities, foreign management is necessary,” he added. Speaking about the Nagarbari River Port, the adviser said that local businesses are already enjoying its benefits. “We plan to introduce container-handling facilities here in the future. Additionally, we have received four dredgers — one of which will be deployed here to ease navigability problems. Our goal is to develop Nagarbari as a moderately modern river port,” he said.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by BIWTA Chairman Commodore Arif Ahmed Mostafa and attended by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Delwar Begum, along with senior officials from the ministry, BIWTA, and local dignitaries.
According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), the Nagarbari terminal serves as a key hub for river-based transport of heavy goods such as fertilizer, cement, and coal, playing a vital role in regional trade and connectivity.
