Spl ferry service on Mawa route to transport RMG products to Mongla port

FE Report

The government will arrange a special ferry service on Mawa-Kawrakandi route exclusively for the readymade garment manufacturers to help them transport their products to Mongla port, thus reducing pressure on the over-burdened Chittagong port.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said "RMG manufacturers often fail to reach Chittagong port on time because of traffic congestion and this special ferry service will help to ease the problem when shipments are made through Mongla port."

"The distance from Dhaka to Chittagong is 300 km where as Dhaka to Khulna is around 140 km so this ferry will save a lot of time of RMG makers," he told reporters after meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at his office in secretariat on Tuesday.

He said, "We may reduce different charges of Chittagong port by 150 per cent after discussing with the port authorities."

"We have taken legal opinion to reduce Chittagong port charges which was increased by 100 to 300 percent during the tenure of the last caretaker government."

The demand of BGMEA leaders to reduce the port charge is logical because the last government increased the rate abruptly making it a burden on RMG manufacturers,"

The Shipping Minister said: "A team will visit different ports in the developed countries between January 15 and 18 and we will try to implement the experiences to improve Bangladesh's port operation."