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CHATTOGRAM, Sept 21: The navigation channel of Matarbari deep-sea port under Moheshkhali upazila of Cox's Bazar has gone under the control of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA).
The state-run Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd (CPGCBL) handed over the charge of the channel at a programme hosted in Chattogram on Wednesday.
From now on, the CPA will use, preserve the channel, collect dues and charges, including hiring, berthing and tug charges.
Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, principal secretary of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), was present there as the chief guest.
Senior secretaries of shipping and power ministries Md Mostafa Kamal and Md Habibur Rahman, CPA chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail and top officials, including Chattogram divisional commissioner and Chattogram deputy commissioner were also present.
Mr Tofazzel also visited the 1,200MW Matarbari coal-fired thermal power plant and deep-sea port on Thursday.
Initially, the CPGCBL excavated the 14.3-kilometre channel with 250 metres wide and 18.5 metres deep under the power plant construction project.
Later, an agreement between shipping and power ministries on 29 November 2018 for port construction led to an increase in width of the channel by 100 metres to 350 metres.
The CPGCBL built 1,753 metres of breakwater in north, 713 metres in south and 1,803 metres of revetment in north to make the channel and harbour safe and secure.
CPA secretary Omar Faruk said, "The deep-sea port of CPA will be a regional hub of export and import after its completion. We can handle large mother vessels at Matarbari terminals."
Work on the dream deep-sea port project is going in full swing. It was originally built for the power plant, but the government later decided to turn it into a deep-sea port.
Work on the country's first deep-sea port project at Tk 17,775 crore began on 16 November 2020 with an eye to reducing pressure on Chattogram port.
In the first phase, a 300-metre multipurpose terminal and a 460-metre container terminal are planned to be constructed by 2026.
The channel is 350 metres long with a maximum permissible draught of 16 metres. Ships with 8,000-TEU containers will be able to berth there.
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