KHULNA, Feb 06, 2024 (BSS)-The inner bar dredging project of Mongla Sea Port has resumed aiming at increasing the port’s capacity to ensure smooth arrival of ships with a draft of 9.5 meters to 10 meters at the port jetty.  

The dredging of section-2 and -4 of the bay’s creek area of the port began on Friday (February 2) in the river channel of the Inner Bar of Mongla port as the complexity of dredging sand has been cleared, Md Makruzzaman, deputy director and Public Relation Officer of MPA told BSS today.

He said the project work was started in 2021 and after the completion of 35 percent of the project work was temporarily stopped in 2022 due to the shortage of lifting sand areas.

As the dredging was stopped due to silt accumulation in some places of the channel, ships with 8.5-metre draft could not able to anchor at the port jetty easily.

Chairman of the Mongla Port Authority (MPA) Rear Admiral Shaheen Rahman said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked to keep Mongla Port operational by hook or by crook”.

Keeping this in mind, Shaheen Rahman, said that Mongla Port Authority is always trying to implement the commitments of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

After the completion of the dredging at the Inner Bar, ships with a draft of 9.5 metres to 10 metres will be able to anchor at the port jetty easily, he said

The government’s revenue along with the income of the MPA will be increased when more draft (9.5 to 10 meter) ships will arrive at the port, he added.