Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, the shipping adviser, has stated that steps will be taken to expand the Sonamasjid Land Port.
“As Sonamasjid Land Port is an important one for inter-country communication, so priority will be given to expansion of the port in taking World Bank financed projects,” he told journalists after a exchanging views with local administrative and customs officials and trade union bodies here today.
M Sakhawat Hussain, also adviser of labour and employment ministry, said that Sonamasjid Land Port is very old and important and port users have demanded for expansion of the port along with construction of a link road.
He requested a development plan proposal from the local Deputy Commissioner (DC) in this regard.
According to the advisor, a number of ports were previously established with assistance from the World Bank. If World Bank funding is available, the Sonamasjid Land Port expansion project may also be pursued.
According to Sakhawat, steps will be taken to construct a hospital for worker treatment and a 3-kilometer road from Sonamasjid land port in order to lessen traffic.
Bangladesh Land Ports Authority Chairman Mohammad Manzarul Mannan chaired the meeting, which was attended by Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment AHM Shafiquzzaman, Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Khondaker Azim Ahmed, National Board of Revenue Member Al Amin Pramanik, Commissioner of Custom Excise and VAT Mohammad Faizur Rahman, Chapainawabganj Chamber President Abdul Wahed, Managing Director of Panama Port Link Limited Zahura Nowsaba, Chairman Atiqur Rahman Khan, President of Sonamasjid Import-Export Group Alhaj Ekramul Haque and others.
