After a long wait, Bholaganj Land Port, 24th land port of the country in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet has officially begun operations, raising hopes for expanded trade and tourism in the region.
The land port was inaugurated on Thursday at around 11:30am by Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (retd) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain.
Built on 52 acres adjacent to the popular Sadapathar tourist jetty, the port is expected to boost trade with India’s Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland and Assam, as well as Bhutan. Officials said the port would generate hundreds of crores of taka in annual revenue and create new employment opportunities beyond the area’s quarry-dependent economy.
Bholaganj has long served as a key route for importing limestone from India. In 2019, the government declared the Bholaganj customs station as the country’s 24th land port. After resolving land acquisition and other complexities, construction of the port began in June last year at a cost of around Tk 175 crore.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Shipping Ministry Secretary Dr Nurunnahar Chowdhury, Bangladesh Land Port Authority Chairman Mohammad Manzarul Mannan, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Md Sarwar Alam, Superintendent of Police Kazi Akhtar Ul Alam, Companiganj UNO Mohammad Robin Mia, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Palash Talukder and Companiganj Police Station OC Shafikul Islam Khan, among others.
Officials said the port has been developed with a strong focus on tourism as well as trade. Facilities include a modern cafeteria, mosque, glass-enclosed two-storey port building, a three-storey multi-agency building, a guest house, two dormitories, a clinic, parking facilities and dedicated internal roads.
Project Director Sarwar Alam said the port was designed to be fully tourist-friendly, keeping Sadapathar tourism in mind. “The restaurants, guest house, mosque and medical centre will be open not only to port users but also to tourists and local residents,” he said.
Currently, 280–300 trucks of limestone enter daily through Bholaganj using manual procedures. Once fully operational, officials said modern management systems would reduce clearance time to two-and-a-half to three hours. Designated port routes will ensure that tourist movement on the main road remains uninterrupted.
Limestone imports through the Bholaganj customs station began in 2005 from the Majai area of India’s Khasi Hills district. In 2019, the government declared the station as the country’s 24th land port. With funding from the World Bank, construction of the port was carried out at a cost of around Tk 175 crore by Anik Trading Corporation and Majid Sons & Masud Steel.
The project initially faced delays due to land acquisition and other complexities. After resolving those issues, the main construction work began in January 2024.
Although construction was temporarily disrupted following the looting of building materials and equipment on August 5 this year, the contractors quickly resumed work and completed the project ahead of schedule.
Anik Trading Corporation Chairman Jahangir Alam said the company suffered losses of around Tk 6–7 crore due to the looting, yet managed to finish the work within the stipulated timeframe. Masud Steel’s Rashed Ahmed also said they were able to complete their part of the project on time.
Abdul Jalil, president of the Bholaganj Stone Crusher Mill Owners’ Association, said the port’s operation would transform the area by creating new employment opportunities for locals. He added that tourists would benefit from accommodation and dining facilities, expressing hope that the land port would emerge as a major attraction not only for trade but also for tourism.