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Terming the report on a move to use the Haldia Port of Kolkata 'a propaganda war" by a vested quarter, shipping minister M Shajahan Khan said the Kolkata ports were interested to use the Chittagong port instead to eschew their own difficulties.
A section of shippers is reportedly contemplating use of the Haldia Port as an alternative arrangement for conducting international trade, he said, adding this was a baseless argument.
"This is simply a propaganda war by a section of people against the country's prime seaport of Chittagong Port," he said.
He made the remarks while addressing as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the month-long Chittagong International Trade Fair (CITF 2018) at Bangabandhu International Conference Hall at the World Trade Centre in Chittagong on Saturday.
With the cutting of ribbon, the minister opened the Chittagong International Trade Fair organised by the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Railway Polo Ground in the port city.
Presided over by the CCCI President Mahbubul Alam, the inaugural function was addressed by state minister for land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Zaved, Chittagong City mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, and member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Energy and Mineral Resources, Ports and Chittagong Hill Tracts MA Latif as the special guests.
The shipping minister said that Chittagong Port's cargo handling capacity has increased a lot over the last few years with procurement of a good deal of cargo and container handling equipments and their rapid installation.
Apart from that, the Chittagong Port has undertaken several projects for the construction of the Patenga Container Terminal, expansion of yards, storage facilities and jetty facilities over the last few years.
The minister said the CCCI leaders and trade body representatives could hold a meeting with the Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader regarding the imposition of weight restrictions on the Chittagong-Dhaka Highway.
He assured of speaking with Mr Quader on the issue to solve the problem.
The Chittagong Port Authority is also going to start the construction of the Landiar Char Multipurpose Terminal, the much-expected Bay Container Terminal and a commercial port near the giant Matarbari Coal-based Power Plant.
CCCI president Mahbubul Alam said the businesses in Chittagong had been suffering a lot due to the weight restrictions only in transportation of cargo by road to and from Chittagong.
He also sought a permanent venue for holding the CITF regularly.
The event was also addressed by chairman of the CITF Committee and senior vice president of the CCCI Nurun Newaz Selim and co-chairman of the CITF and vice president of the CCCI Syed Jamal Ahmed.