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The government plans to transform Mongla Port into a full-fledged industrial and commercial hub with the ambition of surpassing Chattogram Port, while setting up an LNG terminal and power generation facility to support the region’s growing industrial activities.
Shipping, Roads and Bridges and Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam made the announcement at a reception organised by Mongla municipal BNP at the permanent port bus stand in Bagerhat on Sunday .
The minister said a floating LNG station would be established at Akram Point in the Bay of Bengal, near Mongla Port. Gas from the facility would be brought to Mongla through a 23-kilometre pipeline and used to generate electricity.
“An LNG station will be set up at Akram Point near Mongla Port. Gas will be brought to Mongla through a 23-kilometre pipeline, and a power plant will then be established there using that gas,” he said.
Outlining the government’s development plans for the Mongla region, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said the 10th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge over the Mongla River would be implemented as soon as possible.
He also said work on the Mongla Special Economic Zone is scheduled to begin in October. The project is expected to create employment opportunities for around 60,000 people in the region.
The minister said the government was also taking steps to strengthen Mongla Port’s infrastructure, including the construction of new jetties and establishment of cold storage facilities.
Expressing the government’s ambition to turn Mongla into a major trade and industrial centre, he said the port would be developed with the necessary infrastructure to increase its capacity and attract investment.
He also expressed confidence that the planned initiatives would enable Mongla to compete with and eventually surpass Chattogram Port in terms of its role in trade and industrial development.
The proposed LNG infrastructure and power generation facility are expected to provide additional energy support for industries in and around Mongla, while the special economic zone could create a major new source of employment and investment.
The minister also spoke about the government’s broader political objectives, saying it wanted to ensure development, make the state administration more accountable to the people and fulfil public expectations.
The reception was chaired by Mongla municipal BNP president Md Zulfikar Ali. Bagerhat district BNP former president and coordinator MA Salam, Mongla municipal BNP general secretary Mahbubur Rahman Manik, Mongla upazila BNP president A Mannan Howlader, Rampal upazila BNP president Hafizur Rahman Tuhin, Mollahat upazila BNP president Sheikh Hafizur Rahman and Fakirhat upazila BNP general secretary Shariful Kamal Karim, among others, also spoke at the event.