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The Mongla Port Authority (MPA) will get project management consultancy services from Egis India in implementing a major project to enhance capacity of the country's second-largest sea port.
To this effect, MPA Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa and Managing Director of Egis India Consulting Engineers Pvt Limited Sandeep Gulati signed a contract on behalf of their respective organisations at a ceremony held in a city hotel on Monday noon.
As per the deal, Egis India will guide the MPA for five years on services including engineering studies, design, tender, and supervision of construction work under the 'Upgradation of Mongla Port Project'.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury attended the ceremony as the chief guest, while Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma was the special guest.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Egis Group Laurent Germain, Director of Egis India Sanjay Sagar, country manager of Egis Group operations in Bangladesh Md Mahfuz Miah and Manager of IT & Operations Parvez Imdad were present in the function among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said the activities to enhance the facilities at the Mongla Port began with the employment of the consultancy firm.
"The facelift of the port will help increase the country's international trade, establish a multimodal transport hub as well as generate employment," he said.
Highlighting the profound relationship between Bangladesh and India, High Commissioner Verma said the contract signing was a testimony to the two countries' togetherness in many areas.
"Rapid socio-economic development of India and Bangladesh are creating new opportunities for deeper cooperation between us," he said.
Stressing the need for better connectivity between the two neighbouring countries, he said people of these two countries also enjoyed deeper relations.
The MPA Chairman briefed the guests about various aspects of the port which has been playing a vital role in the country's export and import.
He said with the country's economic growth, the necessity to elevate the port services was also rising.
"Projected container handling at the Mongla Port by 2040 is likely to increase 15 times," he said, adding that this requires huge capacity building of the port.
Upgradation of Mongla Port is one of the third Indian Line of Credit (LoC) projects, which will cost over Tk 60 billion, said Mr Musa.
A good number of infrastructure work including construction of container terminal, jetty, yard, marine workshop, residential building and roads would be done under the project, he said.