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RAJSHAHI, July 29: The operation of the Sona Masjid landport will be handed over to private entrepreneurs from November next. The government has already finalised necessary formalities in this connection.
Once the port is handed over to private entrepreneurs, the infrastructural development work and operational activities of the port will be done by government approved agents who will then control import and export activities.
And it is expected that the revenue earning of the government would also increase.
Sonamasjid, the second largest landport of the country, was established in 1986-87 on 18 acres of land. Then the export and import activities were limited with India and Bhutan.
The revenue earnings of the landport soon increased as the landport became popular to the importers and exporters of both the countries due to its geographical position and communication facilities.
But due to corruption, irregularities, mismanagement of the concerned authorities and lack of infrastructural facilities, the importers and the exporters continued to face multifarious problems hampering the normal activities of the port.
Rivalry among various unions and organisations for controlling the landport also increased day by day and the concerned authorities remained indifferent to those problems. As a result, the income of the landport continued to fall.
On the other hand, due to frequent incidents of strike and work stoppage, the importers and the exporters were losing their interest in using this port further and many of them started using other ports.
Sources said abandonment of the Sona Masjid landport by the importers and the exporters reduced the revenue earnings of the port and about five thousand employees and workers dependent on the port are threatened to be unemployed as the government decided to open two more land customs stations at Hili and in Dhamoirhat.
The number of trucks carrying import goods to Bangladesh has fallen drastically. There is virtually no export of Bangladeshi goods through this port for years.
At least 300-350 Indian trucks loaded with imported goods used to be unloaded through the Sona Masjid landport daily but at present the number came down to 100 - 150 per day.
Importers said earlier LCs were issued round the clock and the goods were cleared from the trucks round the clock resulting in a huge earning of revenue by the Sona Masjid customs authorities.
The government is expecting an increase in revenue earning as well as an end to labour unrest and round-the-clock clearing and forwarding work following the handing over of the activities of the port to private operators.
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