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Navigability Crisis

Old infrastructures turn Baghabari Port unusable

Published : Friday, 12 February, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 802
Ashok Benarjee
Baghabari River Port in Sirajganj. photo: observer

Baghabari River Port in Sirajganj. photo: observer

SIRAJGANJ, Feb 11: Loading-unloading activities are being seriously hampered in Baghabari River Port of the district due to navigability crisis and.
In a visit, more than 100 labourers were seen lifting bags of cement and fertlisers from small boats to trucks using bamboo-chatai-made stairs.
There are about 1,200 labourers in the port. The port was supposed to remain busy with their activities. But very few of them are getting works.
Three jetties of the port are almost useless. Cargo vessels cannot reach the port due to navigability crisis.
In 1981, this second grade river port was established along Boral River in Shahzadpur Upazila of Jamuna River-based Sirajganj District. It was launched in 1983 with an area of about 5.5 kilometres.
Three jetties were constructed for the port to handle loading and un-loading of food goods and other commodities.
Two buffer fertiliser godowns including one of 3,000 metric tons (MT) and another of BCIC of 5,000 MT were made.
The port ground gets submerged in clay water during rain. Then walking also becomes impossible.      
Due to inadequate godowns, hundreds of MT of fertlisers are lying stockpiled on the port, covered with polythene; and thousands of MT of coal are lying openly.
Offices, godowns and other necessary infrastructures of the port were constructed at a time. These were not repaired ever.
During IRRI-Boro season, thousands of MT of imported and local fertilisers including urea are sent to 26 buffer godowns in 16 districts of northern region using this port.
Besides, fuel, coal, wheat and other goods of 16 districts in northern region are also brought through this port.   
The government gets revenue of about Tk 1.5 crore per year as lease money of the port.
In the dry season, cargo vessels laden with fertiliser, cement, oil and other commodities cannot directly reach the port due to sub-merged islands of the Jamuna River.
Navigability crisis from Pachakola of Bera Upazila in Pabna to Baghabari in Sirajganj turns acute every year; in this stretch, at least 20-25 cargo vessels get stranded. The goods handling becomes standstill.
 Besides, goods are being loaded and unloaded using the old jetties. Labourers are working taking life risks.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Launch Sramik Association-Baghabari Station Md Asadur Rahman said, the port is running with old jetties.
Authorities are not taking any initiative to repair and develop the port, he mentioned.
Finding no other option, labourers are working in a compelling situation, he added.
 Nazrul Islam, a labour Sardar, said "We have been in no work condition for the last one week. The port is almost free of vessels."
He said, their families are passing days in hardship. He demanded restoring navigability immediately in the port.
Lease holder of the port Abdus Salam Bepary said, the port is running with various problems including navigability crisis and old jetties.
The entire port has turned unusable, he added. It has cost me a  big amount of money to take its lease, he mentioned.
It is a big revenue source for the government, he said again.
But no initiative was taken by the government or authorities to repair  it,  he further said.  
"Our lease money cannot be lifted. We are  counting losses," he said.
Assistant Director of the port SM Sazzadur Rahman said, the navigability crisis appears every year in dry season due to natural reason.
 The government has undertaken a massive project to develop the port, he informed. Already the port area has been demarked, and repairing fund has been allocated, he added.
It is expected, the port will be developed into a top class one, he further said.






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