The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has urged the government to prioritise inland waterway infrastructure development to reduce the cost of doing business in Bangladesh, citing underutilised river transport capacity and structural bottlenecks.
DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed said Bangladesh’s riverine waterways remain the most cost-effective freight transport route but their potential is constrained by siltation, poor navigability and illegal encroachment on riverbanks.
He called for recovery of encroached riverbanks, planned dredging and development of supporting infrastructure to improve logistics efficiency and strengthen trade competitiveness.
Ahmed also supported the government’s plan to excavate 20,000 kilometres of water bodies over the next five years, saying it would improve inland water transport, reduce business costs, support agriculture and contribute to economic growth.
He further proposed strategic use of the 112-kilometre circular waterway surrounding Dhaka to ease traffic congestion and improve urban transport flow.
The proposal was discussed at a meeting attended by Shipping Ministry senior official Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, who said the government remains committed to upgrading inland waterway infrastructure and expanding private sector participation in nationwide canal excavation and waterway development programmes.
DCCI Senior Vice President Razeev H Chowdhury, Vice President Md Salem Sulaiman and Acting Secretary General AKM Asaduzzaman Patwary were also present.
