Sonadia deep sea port and regional connectivity
THE depth of water at the berthing/anchorage area of Chittagong Port is less than 10 meter. Normally, mother vessels of present generation require 16-18 meter depth of water to berth safely. Next generation vessels (within a decade) will require 21 meter and future generation of mother vessels may require 24 meter depth of water. As such, while improving the berthing facility of Chittagong sea port, we should cater for mother vessels of the future generation. In that case the depth of water at the berthing area of deep sea port should be not less than 24 meter. In the 1990s, the Sultanate of Oman built one such port at Salalah but since the depth of water at the berthing area of the said port is barely 16 meter they have to carry out regular dredging off and on to get the required depth of water to accommodate present generation mother vessels. In 2002 layout drawing, the characteristics and drawbacks of the newly built Salalah Port were sent to the Bangladesh Ministry of Shipping. In the jetty, Oman installed computerized modern cranes (Chinese, made with German technology) which from distance can pull crates weighing more than 65 ton and at its own, as directed by the computer, place the cargo in a lane fixed for its group. Total manpower to handle such a huge port is 303 people and at a given time with casual manpower, barely 350 people remain engaged in the port. In 2001 when the late Abdus Samad Azad visited the port he immediately pointed out the need for trained manpower to operate the port. It is said that the depth of water at Sonadia, the newly selected deep sea port site, is about 14-16 meter, which may be adequate for mother vessels of the present generation but not for vessels of the next. If required we should make a platform/bridge/floating jetty to go up to the place where we can get the required depth of 24 meter. If not we may look for alternative sites too. South of Mongla, Patuakhali, Bhola, Hatia and Sandwip are probable sites for a deep sea port. Apart from the required depth, wherever we establish deep sea port it must be made sure that the handling time at the port should be prompt and that no time is wasted in berthing and in unloading cargo. As such the functioning of the port (from entry, berthing to loading/unloading and storage and clearing all types of cargoes including human traffic) should be computerized. On the other hand the sea/waters at the berthing area of deep sea port should be calm so that vessels could berth easily and safely. On this point we need experienced expertise to guide the whole project. From time immemorial Sandwip has been a sea port and even today its channel may provide a suitable site. By now the concerned authority must have carried out detailed survey (hydrological as well as seismic) of the probable sites. To make it more attractive if possible a suitable area near the deep sea port site could be developed as a tourist spot and sports avenue, which should be well connected by air also. The inter connectivity by road, rail (including fast moving electric train), water ways and by air has to be built as per world standards, meeting all the parameters. We must not compromise any of the parameters nor should we be penny wise pound foolish. Road and rail communication network should be built in such a way that these could accommodate fast moving heavy vehicles as well as containers/lorries and side by side railway line to accommodate broad gauge bogies of Electric Railway. The roads leading to sea port should be as straight as possible and should be of minimum six to eight lanes. Besides, all the other required facilities should be developed. Electricity, gas, online banking (including convertible currency), vehicle and maintenance parking, one stop mall with accommodation and food and email facilities should be developed. One such proposed highway could be built from Kaligonj/Shaymnagar to Bakhergonj to Daulatkhan to (through bridge over the Shahbajpur River) to Ramgati/Maijdee to Sitakunda and along sea shore to Maheskhali/Sonadia (like a marine drive). Alternatively, it may be Ramgati to (bridge over Sandwip channel) Sandwip (a probable deep sea port site) or even Shaymnagar to Lalmohon to Hatiya (another probable new deep sea port- site, if it is so selected). Right from Shayamnagar, on both sides of the highway, there should be canals with sluice gates. It is expected that its height should be 30 feet. At the same time, if salty water as well as flood water could be controlled then a sizeable land could be recovered for cultivation. The local people would be interested to build the road voluntarily as it happened with Mahuri embankment; and with human endeavour we should be able to build the road in the quickest possible time. Road side shelters could be built so that people, at the time of tornado, tidal waves or flash flood, could avail them to live in temporarily. Other roads like from Sylhet, Kulaura, Comilla, Mymensingh, Panchaghar, Parbatipur, Rajshahi, Hilli, Sona Majsid, Jessore/Benapole, etc, which are in existence leading to Cox's Bazaar/ Maheskhali/Teknaf would need improvement only. Once connectivity is developed it will benefit Bangladesh and the surrounding land locked countries and with the available facilities automatically investors would be attracted to invest either as joint venture or independent projects. On both counts Bangladesh will be benefited along with India, Myanmar, China, Nepal and Bhutan in particular. Connectivity will enhance mutual understandings besides commercial dealings. Once we build the highways within the country and regional connectivity along with deep sea port we may strive hard to build a canal like Panama at the Betung area of south Thailand after gaining confidence of the Asean countries, particularly Singapore. The canal will ensure shortest route to the Pacific Ocean by connecting the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. In this type of project Japan will be greatly interested. Regional connectivity needs regional understandings. For that we must carry out heart to heart talk with India in particular, to establish regional commercial management committee under a regional regulating commission, having proper representatives from concerned countries including China. This type of endeavor will ultimately lead to one economic zone with one currency like the EU. Transit pass will suffice to initially allow cargoes and human traffic rather than formal visa. From Bangladesh's point of view, the sea demarcation with India and Myanmar in particular should also be settled immediately, preferably by amicable settlement. The writer is a retired military officer and former Ambassador.
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