Nagarbari River Port in Pabna opened Saturday after years of delay with possibility of a major boost in cargo handling capacity, employment and revenue in northern region.
According to official sources, the port is now able to handle 10-fold cargo efficiently than before with modern facilities as it opened after years of delays over land acquisition and other hurdles.
Nagarbari–Kazirhat–Naradaha Port Officer Md Khairuzzaman said cargo handling capacity would grow ten times.
“Previously, around 2,000 tonnes of goods were unloaded daily. Now we will be able to handle at least 20,000 tonnes a day. This will significantly increase national revenue and accelerate economic activity across northern Bangladesh,” he said.
Shipping and Labour Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain opened the port by cutting a ribbon and releasing balloons. A prayer and tree-planting ceremony followed the inauguration.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Chairman Commodore Arif Ahmed Mostofa presided over the event, attended by Shipping Ministry Additional Secretary Delwara Begum as special guest.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sakhawat Hossain said modernisation and investment in port management were essential, adding that handing over Chattogram Port to foreign management might be ‘unavoidable’ to ensure efficiency.
‘Chattogram Port is key to Bangladesh’s economy. What happened there over the last 17 years has been painful to watch. We’re working to fix it, but vested groups are spreading propaganda when their interests are affected,’ he said.
He further said the government plans to move containers directly from Chattogram and Mongla to inland terminals.
“We want to develop Pangaon as a main terminal but also use ports like Nagarbari for container movement through smaller lighterage vessels. Tenders will be floated soon. Nagarbari will be run by a private operator that will supply the necessary equipment. We have already received four new dredgers to keep waterways navigable,” he added.
According to port officials, Nagarbari plays a key role in transporting fertiliser, coal, cement, stone and other goods to northern Bangladesh through low-cost river networks.
To expand capacity, the government launched a Tk563-crore project in 2018 on 36 acres along the Jamuna river in Bera upazila, with a planned completion date of June 2022.
The deadline was extended twice due to delays in land acquisition.
The new facilities include a 360-metre concrete jetty, terminal building, warehouses, buffer storage, open sheds and high-capacity cargo loading and unloading systems.
Locals and businesses say the port will reshape the economic landscape of the region.
Truck driver Aminul Islam, who operates freight from Nagarbari, said road connectivity had already improved.
“Earlier, broken roads made transport difficult. Now vehicle movement will increase, and with that, our income will also rise,” he said.
Local labourer Mostafa Kamal said, “We watched construction for years. Now the port is finally open. It gives us hope. If employment increases, it will change our lives,” he said.
