Develop Ctg to develop Bangladesh

Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed said this in an exclusive interview with the Daily Star on Sunday.

He said "Chittagong is the second largest city and it has the country's all-important premier seaport and the city is now known as the commercial capital of the country. Considering all these, I think that without developing Chittagong, the development of Bangladesh is not possible."

The chamber president was critical of and doubtful about the role and sincerity of the successive governments for development of the port city.

"Since independence none of the governments have taken any real initiative for Chittagong. What they gave us so far were hyperbole and 'crocodile tears' only for their own petty interest," Javed said.

"Although, Chittagong has been declared as a 'commercial capital' of the country, it has not yet seen any true move from the successive governments in this regard," he said. "What we need now to make the port city a commercial capital in true terms is some key infrastructures instead of 'mere pledges or hyperbole," the chamber president said.

Infrastructures like headquarters of an insurance company, bank, export-import office, World Trade Centre (WTC), four-lane highway, double-line railway between Dhaka and Chittagong, enhancement of tourism, another bridge on the river Karnaphuli, more power plants, five-star hotel and efficiency of Chittagong port are needed to turn Chittagong into a commercial capital, he said.

Referring to the inefficiency and incompetence of Chittagong Port Authority, Javed said a lot of things could be done to turn the port into an international standard.

The CCCI chief, in this regard, suggested formation of a regulatory body, computerisation, increase of ICD (inland container depots), procurement of equipment and gantry cranes, introduction of green channel and reduction of procedural steps.

"A regulatory body, comprising representatives of CCCI, Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA) and Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association, is a prerequisite for making Chittagong port an efficient and competent one," he said.

Javed said that the development of Chittagong so far gained was due to the initiatives from the private sectors only. He suggested more access of private sectors to the infrastructural development of the port city.

"Let the private sector do business not the government," he appealed.

The chamber president sees a bright prospect of tourism in Chittagong for its 'beautiful natural setting' enriched with zigzag hills, rivers and the sea.

He urged the government to take stern action against the rampant hill cutting. "The unabated hill cutting is destroying the ecological balance and if it continues the port city in future will sink down in the sea."

Javed said the business community and trade bodies can play a vital role for the development of Chittagong and offered his personal and CCCI's cooperation in this regard.

"We are ready to extend our optimum efforts and cooperation to the government to this end," he said.

The chamber president, however, declined to comment on the current political situation saying, "Politics is not our cup of tea and I personally am not interested in it."