The inner bar dredging of Mongla Port started today to increase the port's capacity and ensure smooth arrival of ships at the port jetty. State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury inaugurated the dredging project at Jaymonir Ghol in Mongla today.

Chairman of Mongla Port Authority Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa presided over the inaugural function while Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleq, MP of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Habibun Nahar and Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury were present at the time, among others, reports our Bagerhat correspondent.

The excavation of this 19km inner bar from Jaymonir Ghol of Pashur Channel to Port Jetty will solve the navigability crisis of the port.

The total length of the channel from Rampal Thermal Power Station to Fareway Boya is 145km. About 19km from Mongla Port Jetty to Harbaria (Jaymonir Ghol) is marked as inner bar. The current depth of the inner bar channel is less than 5.5 metres.

Under the project titled "Inner Bar Dredging of Mongla Port Channel", about 19km will be excavated from Port Jetty to Jaymonir Ghol at a cost of around Tk 793 crore. As a result, ships with a draft of 9.50m to 10m will be able to enter the Mongla port jetty directly.

At present, ships with a depth of only 7 metres can come to the port jetty.

The project will be completed in 2022. During this time, 216.09 lakh cubic metres of sand will be dredged by Chinese companies JHCEC and CCECC.