Promotion of Ctg Port to bring fortune: PM

CHITTAGONG, April 27: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday inaugurated two day long "Port Expo Bangladesh- 2017" marking the 130th founding anniversary of the Chittagong Port through video conference.  Opening the Expo, the Prime Minister urged all concerned to promote Chittagong port's goodwill with their sincere efforts.  She opined that the promotion of the Chittagong Port would bring fortune for the country because of its strategic location for trade connectivity.
The PM said, "Chittagong Port is great asset for the country." She also said that the Chittagong Port and other ports of the country were very prospective for development of regional connectivity as every country could use "our ports for their economic development".  "Bangladesh is creating the opportunity for them (countries)," Sheikh Hasina said.
She described Chittagong Port to be of crucial importance for the country's economy as it clearly aimed to wipe out hunger and poverty by 2021 and a turned to be a developed one by 2041.  "To make this happened the contribution of the Chittagong Port is very important," the premier said while opening the expo through a video conference from her Ganabhaban residence in the capital.  Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mahbubul Alam, Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral M Khaled Iqbal also spoke on the occasion.
Housing and public works minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, state minister for land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed, parliament members elected from Chittagong constituencies and politicians were present in the function.
PMO's director general Kabir Bin Anwar conducted the ceremony, also joined by senior officials of the prime minister's office.  The Expo will continue till 28 next.
The Expo was held at the newly constructed car shed with more than 128 stalls of different categories.
The foreign Main line operators (MLO), shipping agents and stakeholders set up stalls in the Expo.
Sheikh Hasina said a crucial strategic geographic location earned Bangladesh a scope to be an economic hub connecting nations in all directions-east and west; and south and north-and since assuming office, the government is making constant efforts to make this happen.  "It is our great fortune that Bangladesh is a riverine country as well, the country has a vast sea area. We have immense opportunity to make our socioeconomic development through using the sea resources and sea ports," she said.
The Prime Minister recalled the memories of the workers of the port who embraced martyrdom while resisting unloading of arms and ammunition from Swat Ship at the advent of the War of Liberation in 1971 and during the war.
She said soon after independence Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took immediate step to make the Chittagong Port mine free with the help of the Russia considering its importance to economy.
Sheikh Hasina said her government took massive plan to make Chittagong Port a continental one.
She said a tunnel was being constructed under the Karnaphuli River and necessary roads and bridges were being built to put in place a developed communication network to facilitate the port and the south-eastern port city.