BIWTA to set up country's 54th river port in Bogura

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is set to establish the country's 54th river port in Bogura very soon, aiming to expand transportation of goods, mostly agricultural produces, between northern Bangladesh and Dhaka through river ways.

To this goal, a feasibility study has already been completed at the Jamuna riverside in Sariakandi upazila, and the report has been sent to the relevant ministry.

Proposed 'Sariakandi River Port' now awaits gazette notification, officials involved in the process told the FE.

Once the river port is established on the bank of the Jamuna River in Sariakandi, the distance from Bogura's Kalitala Ghat to Jamalpur via Madarganj will reduce by around 170 kilometres.

This will create alternative river routes for transporting goods from Bogura, Gaibandha and other northern districts to Jamalpur, Sherpur, Mymensingh and Dhaka.

After using river routes, goods might be carried by trucks to Dhaka and Mymensingh and other cities.

Once the river port project is implemented, the overall economy of Bogura and neighbouring districts is expected to substantially benefit, said Hosna Afroz, former deputy commissioner of Bogura, who first sent the proposal to the ministry.

The former DC confirmed the FE that the feasibility committee's expert team had given a positive report on establishing the river port at the proposed site.

"The authorities are working on issuing the gazette, and we expect the port to be approved very soon," she went on.

She said Bogura is famous for its agricultural produces but the goods lose competitiveness following higher road transportation cost.

Sariakandi's acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer Atikur Rahman said most agricultural produces in the district come from the Jamuna's char (shoal) areas and are transported to Sherpur, Jamalpur and other regions.

He added a river port at the Jumuna riverside will reduce transport costs and allow farmers to send goods to Dhaka and other places at lower expenditure.

He further said the river port would also strengthen the river management and protection. And the river Jamuna would remain under dredging, ensuring navigability even during dry seasons.

" Local trade would grow, improving the regional economy," he added.

Masud Rana, secretary of the Bogura Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said a port at Sariakandi would not only boost agriculture, but also would allow light industrial machinery to move easily to different districts.

" It would create employment for local youth and bring socio-economic development, " he hoped.

Truck driver Niyamul, involved in transporting goods from the northern region, said the waterway distance between Sariakandi and Madarganj is only 16km, whereas the road route is nearly 200 kms via Bogura town, Sirajganj, Jamuna Bridge and Tangail.

As a result, the river route reduces around 170 km distance and saves 4-5 hours.

Rezaul Karim Badsha, president of Bogura District BNP, said the project was first initiated by President Ziaur Rahman in 1978 but remained stalled for almost four decades before the current interim government revived it.

Local residents and workers said work on the long-awaited river port has raised hope for employment and economic progress.

Newly-appointed DC of Bogura, Md Tawfiqur Rahman, said large quantities of agricultural produces, fertiliser, coal, cement and stone would be transported through the modern river port.

The government has taken up the project to enhance river transport capacity which is much cheaper than road transport cost.

The modern port will include a long concrete jetty, terminal, warehouse, storage facilities, buffer yards, open sheds, open stages and equipment for fast loading and unloading.

The newly-appointed deputy commissioner said the project would transform the economy and social landscape of the region.

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