COX'S BAZAR, June 18: The people as well as the businessmen of Cox's Bazar and Chittagong districts have expressed frustration as there is no direction in the 2017-18 fiscal budget about setting up Sonadia sea port.
In the budget, the Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhit mentioned about setting up four power stations at Matarbari of Cox's Bazar with the funding of Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore. Besides, in the current budget, allocation has been ensured in the running projects.
In the Annual Development Programme (ADP), 1,561 crore and 24 lakh taka have been allocated in the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Ghundhum railway project; 80 crore taka in the gas transmission line project from Moheshkhali of Cox's Bazar to Anwara of Chittagong; and 2,220 crore taka in the ultra super critical coal-fired power project at Matarbari of Cox's Bazar.
The minister further said that the LNG terminal construction and import activities in Moheshkhali will be geared up, but he did not mention anything about Sonadia port.
President of Cox's Bazar Chambers of Commerce and Industries Abu Morshed Chowdhury said, "It is a long-cherished dream of the people here that the Sonadia sea port will be built in Cox' Bazar. The government is implementing more than one project in Matarbari and Moheshkhali. For more benefit from the projects, the government should build the Sonadia sea port. But, despite the Prime Minister's assurance during the last visit here, there is no hint about the sea port in the budget. As a result, we have become frustrated. We seek PM's intervention in this connection."
President of International Business Forum (IBF), Chittagong chapter, SM Abu Tyeb said, "After some days, the necessity of a sea port here will become acute. The current feasibility of Chittagong port will not last long. In this connection, it is necessary to expand Chittagong port activities and build a sea port in Cox's Bazar."
It was known that with the assistance of China, the negotiation activities to build Sonadia sea port advanced in 2014. In that year, during the PM's visit to China, the signing of deal for Sonadia sea port was to take place but it did not happen. Later, the project got suppressed.
In place of Sonadia sea port, the Paira sea port got significance. In the last fiscal year, the Finance Ministry published a pamphlet mentioning 10 big projects, and of those, one was Sonadia sea port. But, that move was limited up to discussion level. Though it was in the Fast Track project, it was not implemented.
Economist and Vice-Chancellor of East Delta University Muhammad Sikander Khan said, "Except Sonadia, other projects of Chittagong have got significance in this year's budget. There is no one to talk in favour of Sonadia now. Sonadia might have not got significance as it will not influence the vote politics. Again, the significance of Sonadia port decreases as the Paira sea port is given significance. Sonadia has more natural advantages than Paira, but the significance is not given to the more suitable port."
After a long silence, discussion about Sonadia port has started. In a meeting at Chittagong on April 27 last, the Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossen said, a sea port will be built in Sonadia. After one day, Commerce Minister Tofayel Ahmed said, whether in Matarbari or Sondia, a new sea port will be built in Chittagong region.
Following the statements of these two ministers, local people and the businessmen hoped of a sea port. Besides, during the PM's visit on May 6 last, she assured them of setting up a sea port in Sonadia, but in this year's budget, there is no reflection of the assurance.
During the PM's visit, President of district Awami League Advocate Sirajul Mostofa presided over the meeting. He said, "As the PM has assured us, we hope that the project will see light."
