Maritime ports of Bangladesh have been advised to hoist distant cautionary signal no. one as the deep depression over Westcentral Bay and adjoining area moved slightly north-northeastwards and now lies over the same area. At 6 am on Monday, it was centred about 840 kms West-Southwest of Chattogram port, 800 kms West-Southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 710 kms southwest of Mongla and Payra ports, respectively, said a special Met office bulletin this morning (October 23, 2023). Read: Extreme weather kills 2 million, costs $4 trillion in 50 years: WMO It is likely to move north-northeastwards and intensify further, added the bulletin. Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 kms of the deep depression centre is about 50 kph rising to 60 kph in gusts or squalls. Sea will remain rough near the deep depression centre. Read: New weather forecasting system launched for Bangladeshi farmers Meanwhile, all fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain closed to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice. They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea, reads the special bulletin.

Two vessels with consignments for the Rooppur Power Plant (NPP) in Pabna have arrived at Mongla port. The ships-- ‘MV Anka Sun’ and ‘MV Sapodilla’ carrying goods weighing 1400.42 MT and 518.42 MT respectively docked at the port’s jetty no 7 and 8 on Sunday evening, Mongla Port Authority (MPA) Harbor Master Captain Shaheen Majid said.   Read more: Return of Russian vessel carrying consignment for Rooppur won’t delay project work: Minister The unloading of goods from the ships started on Sunday night, he added.  Liberian flag carrier MV Sapodilla left St. Petersburg Port of Russia for Mongla Port and docked at the jetty no 8 of the port on Sunday evening.  Another ship, MV Anka Sun left Russian Novorossiysk Sea Port on December 26 docked at the jetty no-7 of Mongla port at the same time. The goods will be taken to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant by road, said Sadhan Kumar Chakraborty, local shipping agent of MV Anka Sun.  Earlier on January 22, Panama flag carrier Liberty Harvest and Russian flag carrier MV Kamilia carrying goods for the nuke plant docked at the port. Read more: Shipments for Rooppur plant and Bangabandhu Rail Bridge arrive at Mongla port Sanctioned Russian ship Sparta III (Ursa Major) was scheduled to dock at Mongla port in the southwestern part of the country at the end of December last year and unload cargo destined for the Rooppur NPP . But the authorities denied the ship permission to dock at the port after officials got a letter from the US Embassy in Dhaka saying that the ship was on a list of Russian ships sanctioned by the US. On January 22, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh will not accept those Russian ships which are under sanctions.

Three foreign ships,including a Russian flag carrier, importing machinery and goods for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and Bangabandhu Rail Bridge have arrived at Mongla port. The unloading of the consignments from the ships has already started. The Panama flag carrier, MV QI XIA, carrying goods weighing 3,352 metric tonnes for the Bangabandhu Rail Bridge, docked at the port’s jetty-7 on Sunday morning, the Mongla Port Authority said. Another Panama flag carrier, LIBERTY HARVEST, carrying machinery weighing 4,716 metric tonnes for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, docked at the port’s jetty-7 at the same time. The Russian flag carrier, MV KAMILLA, carrying goods weighing 3,633 metric tonnes for the power plant, docked at the port’s jetty-9 at noon. Md Kamruzzaman, shipping agent for the Liberty Harvest, said it will take four days to unload the consignment for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Also read: Fourth Russian shipment for Rooppur arrives at Mongla Port After unloading, the machinery from the ship will be taken by sea to Rooppur Power Plant, he added. A total of 14,475 packages weighing 4,716 metric tons of power plant machinery were transported by this ship. Sadhan Kumar Chakrabarty, local shipping agent of MV Kamilla, said that the ship transported a total of 5,506 packages of goods for the power plant. Most of the goods for the country's ongoing megaprojects are being imported through this port on a priority basis. Modern methods of unloading goods, a skilled workforce, and reduced time all contributed to the port's increased activity.  

Mongla Port Authority and EGIS India Consulting Engineers Pvt. Ltd on Monday signed the project management consultancy services contract for the ‘upgradation of Mongla Port’ project. The project is being financed under the Government of India’s concessional line of credit of USD 4.5 billion extended to the Government of Bangladesh.  The total project cost under India’s concessional line of credit is USD 530 million of which the PMC contract awarded to EGIS India Consulting Engineers Ltd. is for USD 9.60 million. State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP, was the chief guest at the signing ceremony.  High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pranay Verma and Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Md. Mostafa Kamal, attended the event as special guests.  High Commissioner Verma highlighted that Bangladesh is India’s largest development partner, both in terms of value and number of projects.  Nearly one fourth of India’s global development assistance is extended to various projects in Bangladesh, covering a variety of sectors, he said.  Also Read: Transit: Regular movement of Indian goods using Ctg, Mongla ports at final stage "This robust development cooperation is a reflection of India’s commitment to partnering with Bangladesh in its journey towards greater growth and prosperity," said the Indian envoy. He emphasised that various connectivity projects like the Mongla Port project, once completed, would have a transformational impact on not only India-Bangladesh economic relations but also on the economy of the entire sub-region.  The government of India has extended four concessional lines of credit to the Government of Bangladesh till date, worth USD 7.862 billion.  Under the concessional loans, 42 projects have been taken up so far, according to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.  Of these, 14 projects have already been completed and the remaining are in various stages of implementation.  Over USD 2 billion worth of projects have been contracted and actual disbursements have crossed  USD 1 billion, significantly picking up pace despite the severe challenges presented by the pandemic.  The ‘Upgradation of Mongla Port’ project is the largest project in the shipping/ports sector which Government of India is financing under its concessional loans.  Also Read: Constructing ferry ghat, road in Mongla port area may put 2 LPG plant operations at risk The development of this port will strengthen maritime connectivity for Bangladesh, not just for the movement of goods with India but also with Bhutan and Nepal.  India is also providing concessional financing for the Khulna-Mongla Port rail line project and the Khulna-Darsana rail line project and with the completion of these projects, Mongla Port would become the only port in Bangladesh with rail connectivity, making it a truly multi-modal hub and unlocking immense economic potential.   

Bangladesh and India are now at the final stage of operationalization of the agreement to use Chattogram and Mongla ports for transit of goods to and from India. The agreement was signed between Bangladesh and India in 2018. Following completion of trial runs, necessary permanent standing order or notification would now be issued by the government of Bangladesh for the operationalization and regular movement of goods under this agreement, officials said. This is a "step forward" in realizing the commitment reiterated at the level of the two prime ministers during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in September 2022. Read India offers free transit to Bangladesh for exports to third countries

One more Russian ship carrying machinery for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has arrived at Mongla port.This is the fourth arrival of a Russian vessel in Bangladesh since the start of the war in Ukraine last February.The Russian flag carrier, MV ECENIA, carrying 987 MT of different electrical machineries for the power plant, docked at the port’s jetty-8 on Sunday, said Shibli, project manager of the ship's local shipping agent Conveyor Logistics Ltd. Also read: Another Russian shipment for Rooppur arrives at Mongla PortAfter unloading, the machinery from the ship that left Russia on August 17 will be taken to Rooppur Power Plant by road, he added.He also said that the unloading process will be completed soon.Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, chairman of Mongla Port, said that most of the goods for the country's mega projects are being imported through this port, due to the existing facilities.It saves money for the port users on the one hand, and they are also able to take the goods to the project area in a short time, he added. Also read: How Padma Bridge led to largest shipment of reconditioned cars to arrive at Mongla PortEarlier, three ships carrying equipment for Rooppur NPP arrived at Mongla Port on August 1,5 and 6.

Construction of a ferry ghat and connecting road in a location between two LGP plants in Mongla port industrial area may create major risks for the two sensitive establishments. Such concern was expressed by the two largest private operators of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) – Omera LPG and Jamuna LPG which opposed the construction of the road and the Laudoba ferry ghat in between their plants in Mongla port area. They also requested the authorities concerned to build the road and ferry ghat at any alternative location so that movement of the foreign LPG carriers to their plants is not obstructed. The LPG operators claimed that the Roads and Highways Department is constructing the road by violating the land policy of the Mongla Port Authority (MPA). They alleged that such construction may lead to a risk of serious accidents in the navigation of Mongla port and also the two LPG plants set up on both sides of the road. The MPA is also not happy to see this road being built through the industrial area of the port by creating obstacles to the Pashur channel. Both Jamuna and Omera LPG plant authorities have lodged complaints with various departments including the MPA, opposing the construction of this road to avoid the risk of accidents. Read: Another Russian shipment for Rooppur arrives at Mongla Port The Roads and Highways Department undertook the project to construct the road and ferry ghat at a cost of Tk 1.90 crore to facilitate the movement of the local people from Dakop upazila to Khulna. Receiving the complaints, initially, the MPA blocked the construction work. But later, the construction work resumed following a verbal permission from the Ministry of Shipping. Meanwhile, President of LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) and owner of Omera Petroleum Azam J Chowdhury met the chairman of the port authority, Rear Admiral M Musa, and requested him through a letter not to allow the construction of the proposed road and ferry ghat between Omera and Jamuna LPG plants in the port industrial area. Officials of the Mongla Port Authority said that they have not given any permission for the construction of the structures through the port industrial area in Bagerhat.   They said if the proposed road and ferry ghat are constructed, the navigation system of the Pashur River channel of the port will be under threat and the navigability there will be reduced.

The Khulna-Mongla railway line, which is expected to expedite the economic activities of the Mongla sea port, is likely to be operational in December. The construction work of the railway track is going on in full swing. "Till now, the progress of the project has been around 95 percent. We hope to inaugurate the line by this year-end," an official said. Once operational, the railway line will play a crucial role in increasing the economic activities of the region. According to the Mongla port authority, the railway link between Khulna and the Mongla sea port is the need of the hour for transportation of goods. In order to ensure the ease of doing business, the government embarked on the railway project worth Tk 3,800 crore some six years ago. Read:Rupsha Railway Bridge, Khulna-Mongla port rail line to facilitate goods transportation; connectivity The project began in November 2016. Initially, the project was scheduled to be completed within May 2020.  Unfortunately, the project has experienced both time and cost overruns, with the deadline of the project being extended to December this year and the cost of the project shooting up to Tk 4,260 crore. Ahmed Hossain Mamun, chief engineer and deputy director of the project, said, " The cost of the project has shot up due to unexpected working conditions and some changes in the project plan. Besides laying 65 kilometres of tracks, we are also building eight stations, 32 bridges and 106 culverts, which increased the project cost." Saiful Islam, secretary-general of Mongla Port Users’ Coordination Committee, said, "The more the construction work of the Khulna-Mongla rail track is getting delayed, the more losses the businessmen who use the Mongla port are incurring."  "Once established, the Khulna-Mongla railway track will bring about massive economic and social changes in the Khulna region,” said Saiful. Abul Khayer Abdullah Khokon Serniabat, general secretary of Mongla Port Berth and Ship Operator Association, said that the Khulna-Mongla rail link will help in transporting goods to Nepal and Bhutan quickly and easily.

A Russian ship carrying machinery for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has arrived at Mongla port.This is the third arrival of a Russian vessel in Bangladesh since the start of the war in Ukraine last February.The Belize flag carrier, MV UNIWISDOM, carrying 1,421 MT of machineries for the power plant, docked at the port’s jetty-7 on Tuesday evening, said Abul Hashem Shamim, Khulna manager of MAC Shipping in Khulna, the vessel's local shipping agent. The unloading of machineries from the ship has already started, he said, adding that the machineries will be later taken to Rooppur Power Plant by road. Read: First Russian ship anchors at Mongla since Ukraine invasion He also said that the unloading process will be completed by next Thursday. Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, chairman of Mongla Port, said that  most of the goods for the country's mega projects are being imported through this port, due to the existing facilities. It saves money for the port users on the one hand, and they are also able to take the goods to the project area in a short time, he added. Earlier, two ships carrying equipment for Rooppur NPP arrived at Mongla Port on August 1 and 5.            

The first trial-basis cargo ship meant to carry goods for northeastern India through Bangladesh's internal waterways reached Mongla port with two containers on Monday. Bangladesh flag-bearing cargo vessel MV Rishad Rayhan anchored at jetty-9 of the port in the morning, having left Kolkata port on August 1, said the Mongla port authority. This is the first of the four trial cargo ships on this route. The cargo ship is now waiting for a trial run on the Mongla-Tamabil and Mongla-Bibirbazar(in Cumilla) routes. This movement of cargo is part of the trial runs being undertaken for the operationalization of the agreement to use Chattogram and Mongla Ports for the transit of goods to and from India which was signed between Indian and Bangladesh in 2018.  In two containers, the vessel carried 16.38 ton of iron pipes in 70 packages and 8.5 ton prefoam in 249 packages. Unloading from the cargo ship began around 11 am.  Also read: First shipment of goods for Bangabandhu Rail Bridge arrives at Mongla port A truck was loaded with container and steel products which left for India around 12 pm. One of the containers will go to India’s Meghalaya state through Tamabil while another will go to India’s Assam through Bibirbazar border, said the port authority. According to the port authority, an agreement and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) regarding the use of Mongla Port for transportation of goods from India have been signed between the two countries. The decision to conduct the trial run was taken after the 13th Bangladesh-India Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting held in March 2022. Chairman of Mongla Port Authority Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, Mongla Customs House Commissioner Mohammad Newazur Rahman, Indian Assistant High Commissioner in Khulna Inderijt Sagar and representatives from Maersk India Ltd were present at the port while the cargo vessel was anchored. Indian Assistant High Commissioner Indar Jeet Sagar said, “This initiative has been taken to speed up the trade using inland waterways on the India-Bangladesh protocol route. This agreement will have a more positive impact on the development of the economy and bilateral relations of the two countries. As per the agreement, the first trial cargo has been shipped to Mongla port today.” There are eight approved routes for transit of goods under the agreement, namely, Chattogram/Mongla Port to Agartala via Akhaura, Chattogram/Mongla Port to Dawki via Tamabil, Chattogram/Mongla Port to Sutarkandi via Sheola, Chattogram/Mongla Port to Srimantapur via Bibirbazar and vice versa on all four routes.  During the visit of Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India in 2019, a SOP was signed to operationalize the agreement.  Also read: How Padma Bridge led to largest shipment of reconditioned cars to arrive at Mongla Port Another trial run is expected be done on the Mongla-Sheola-Sutarkandi route by the end of August 2022 which will mark completion of trial runs on all approved routes under this Agreement, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.  As per the understanding reached earlier this year between the two governments, necessary permanent standing order/notification would be issued by the government of Bangladesh after completion of these trials for the operationalization and regular movement of goods under this agreement.