Haque Specialized Group's News

CHITTAGONG, Aug 7: The district administration sent Sunday eight persons to jail as they came to the DC office with a plea to get electricity connection illegally in the houses built by them at Jungle Salimpur hills in Sitakunda upazila. The arrestees are Amjad Hossain, Abu Taher, Bashir Ullah, Jadugopal Das, Sulal Baroi, Md Jamal, Moktar Ahmed and Sadequr Rahman. Later, the arrestees were handed over to the Kotwali police and the police sent them to the Chittagong Central Jail. Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Zillur Rahman Chowdhury said the arrested persons came to him with a prayer for getting illegal electricity connection in the houses constructed in the government hills at Jungle Salimpur. As they had been living in the government hills for a long time by building houses illegally, the district administration cut off electricity connection last month following a meeting of the Hills Management Committee headed by the Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong. In the meeting, Mr Zillur had instructed Sitakunda UNO (Upazila Nirbahi Officer) to conduct inquiry into illegal structures built illegally at Jungle Salimpur and find out those involved in grabbing the government land and selling plots as well as those living there. Sitakunda UNO submitted an inquiry report to the district administration on July 23 last. In the report, it was stated that a syndicate of influential persons including politicians are involved in the whole gamut of things with support from field-level employees of PDB (Power Development Board), WASA and Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Co. Even the heads of these service organisations are involved in the process which they admitted indirectly, the report said. The hills at Jungle Salimpur are reportedly owned by Bangladesh Railway, Chittagong WASA, Public Works Department, Chittagong City Corporation, Roads and Highways Department and the district administration.     pankajdastider@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-08 00:00:04

The Savar Tannery Estate project has sought two years of extension to develop the facilities remained to be completed as its tenure expired on June 30 this year. Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), the implementing agency of the project, submitted the extension proposal last week to the relevant authorities, according BSCIC sources. The project continued for around 13 years till June 30, but left incomplete many components, including the central effluent treatment plant (CETP). The tanners also stressed the need for the extension as the CETP remained incomplete. Bangladesh Tanners Association president Md. Shaheen Ahmed said two modules of the CETP were in operation, but the construction works of the remaining two are yet to be completed. Some 60-70 factories already relocated to Savar, but only two modules would not be enough to manage the wastes when all the factories will be there, he said. He also said the construction of solid waste management system, Sludge Power Generation System (SPGS), fire service and, development of adjacent roads and many other things yet to be done. "The authority must complete everything as per the agreement signed between the tanners and the estate project," he added.   BTA secretary Shakhawat Ullah said the solid waste is being dumped inside the project area for the time being. "It just cannot be continued for such a large project." The estate authority was expecting to sign an agreement with Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) for dumping solid waste of tanneries at Amin Bazar landfill for the time-being as setting up of a sludge-based power plant for managing solid wastes would take two more years. They could not sign the agreement due to expiry of their tenure. Meanwhile, officials said the extension of the project's tenure would take few months as it would have to be approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). "The proposal will be placed before the ECNEC meeting soon," said one of them. The officials alleged that the BSCIC and the project authority did not apply for the extension timely as they thought the remaining works would be completed timely. Contacted, project director Ziaul Haque refused to talk about it. The officials said the project office staffs and officers did not get their salaries for the month of July, as a result, while they would have to wait for the salaries until the extension is approved. According to the proposal, the expenditure of the project would not increase as there were only some reshuffling proposals -- creation of some new positions and provision for promotion. None of the estate officers got promotion in last 13 years. The estate office has only 16 positions, but currently it has a total manpower of 12 as four fell vacant. The tannery project was first approved by the ECNEC on August 16, 2003 on 200 acres of land at a cost of Tk 2.5 billion. The work was to be completed by 2005. The project was amended and extended up to 2010 for the second time. The tenure of the project was again extended to 2012. The final approval came in 2013 at a cost of Tk 10.79 billion. Only 61 tannery units, out of total 154, have been relocated from Hazaribagh in the capital and started production at the estate, estate officials said. BSCIC is planning to begin second phase of Savar Tannery Estate on 200 acres of land at a cost of around Tk 30 billion to accommodate the left-out tanneries in the first phase, supporting businesses, foreign entrepreneurs as well as the leather goods manufacturers. A BSCIC official involved with the second phase project said they will launch the new project officially, following relocation of maximum number of tanneries to Savar from Hazaribagh. According to the plans for second phase, the authority will create 300 plots on 200 acres of land, bordering the existing tannery estate in Savar. The plots will be allocated to 30-35 tanners who did not get plot in the first phase, 60-70 other plots to the leather goods manufacturers, support linkage sectors will get 40 plots while 10-15 more tanneries may relocate from outside the capital city. The second phase of Savar Tannery Estate will also accommodate vocational training institute, research center, large multi-storied building to showcase leather goods, playground, mosque etc. bdsmile@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-08 00:00:04

CHITTAGONG, Aug 07: The ongoing congestion in the major Chittagong Port could greatly be eased with the port's expansion on 65 acres of unused lands now lying under the control of the Bangladesh Railway (BR). The Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI) highlighted such a need in its letter to the Prime Minister's Office on August 05.  This will facilitate the port's handling capacity through extension of its area and construction of the necessary infrastructures there, the chamber said. The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is yet to get back its lands from the BR as per an agreement despite strong demands of port users, exporters, importers and businesses for extension of area of the Chittagong port.  Sources in the CPA said the port had failed to commission its newly-constructed car and auction sheds from 2015 until recently without a connecting road on the land which is in possession of the Bangladesh Railway (East zone).  The 300-metre long and seven-metre wide connecting road of the CPA is the only entrance to car and auction sheds which remained without any use for two years.  Under the Port Development Project, the Chittagong Port Trust acquired 14 acres of land through the Railway authority in 1955-56. The port authority planned to construct a truck terminal on the land but it is yet to implement the project as the land is still with the Railway authority.  Sources said the Chittagong Port and Railway East were unified since the British rule in the Indian subcontinent. During the 1953-58 period of the Pakistan era, Chittagong Port acquired 920 acres of land in 10 mouzas through the Railway under the Port Development Project.  After separation of the unified Port Authority and Railway East in 1960, the Railway authority was scheduled to hand over 568 acres of land to the CPA  but it handed 471 acres of land to the port between 1960 and 1980 and another 32 acres of land between 1998 and 2005.  But the BR is yet to hand over the rest 65 acres of land since the last 57 years. A committee, headed by additional secretary of the Bangladesh Railway Kamol Krishna Bhattacharjee, is now working out ways to find a solution shortly, sources said.  Meanwhile, the Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI) has urged the government to expedite handing over of Railway lands in the port area to the CPA. This will facilitate the port's handling capacity through extension of its area and construction of the necessary infrastructures there, the chamber said.  In a letter to Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Dr Kamal Abdul Naser on August 05, CMCCI Vice President AM Mahbub Chowdhury said the Chittagong port is reeling under container congestion and facing logjam of vessels at its outer anchorage in recent months.  He said export trade faces a negative growth due to imposition of surcharge on cargo in the port and the imported raw materials for different industries face delay in delivery.  As a result, the special initiative of the Prime Minister to keep all the operational activities of the port and Chittagong Custom House open round the clock from August 01 remains to be executed.  Mr Chowdhury, also adviser for Port and Customs of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the pace of business expansion following special initiatives taken by the Prime Minister, is appropriate and has been appreciated by the business community.  He said the lands in the port area are shared by the CPA and Railway authority but both are governmental organisations.  He said at the current perspective of the port's activities, its area needs to be doubled to keep pace with the growth of import and export, handling of cargo and calling of vessels at the port from across the globe.  As the headquarters of the Assam-Bengal Railway was in Chittagong, one-third area of the port city is under control of the Railway authority. A vast area of the Railway's unused lands, especially the left-out old structures, has turned out to be criminals' den over the decades with trading of drugs, Yaba and unsocial activities.  He urged the government to bring these railway lands under control of the Chittagong Port Authority for extension of its facilities for the sake of national economy.  The trade body leader also proposed construction of a railway line in the port area because it will immensely facilitate transportation of railway wagon-based cargo to different destinations of the country.  pankajdastider@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-08 00:00:04

A floating terminal at the outer-anchorage of Chittagong seaport will be built soon to facilitate container carrying to and from Pangaon Inland Container Terminal (PICT), as shipping jam incurs huge penalties.        The latest government move is seen as part of efforts to make the ICT fully functional and thereby mitigate debilitating container congestion at the country's prime maritime port -- Chittagong Port -- which takes a toll on external trade and incurs penal surcharge. Finance Minister AMA Muhith declared Monday government decision to make necessary financial allocations immediately for building the floating terminal in one-and-a-half-year time. The PICT authority convened a meeting on the day in presence of leaders of top chambers and associations and users in the terminal area with Mr Muhith in the chair to discuss ways of optimum use of the terminal that has largely been lying idle for acres of land in 10 mouzas through the Railway under the Port Development Project.  After separation of the unified Port Authority and Railway East in 1960, the Railway authority was scheduled to hand over 568 acres of land to the CPA  but it handed 471 acres of land to the port between 1960 and 1980 and another 32 acres of land between 1998 and 2005.  But the BR is yet to hand over the rest 65 acres of land since the last 57 years. A committee, headed by additional secretary of the Bangladesh Railway Kamol Krishna Bhattacharjee, is now working out ways to find a solution shortly, sources said.  Meanwhile, the Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI) has urged the government to expedite handing over of Railway lands in the port area to the CPA. This will facilitate the port's handling capacity through extension of its area and construction of the necessary infrastructures there, the chamber said.  In a letter to Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Dr Kamal Abdul Naser on August 05, CMCCI Vice President AM Mahbub Chowdhury said the Chittagong port is reeling under container congestion and facing logjam of vessels at its outer anchorage in recent months.  He said export trade faces a negative growth due to imposition of surcharge on cargo in the port and the imported raw materials for different industries face delay in delivery.  As a result, the special initiative of the Prime Minister to keep all the operational activities of the port and Chittagong Custom House open round the clock from August 01 remains to be executed.  Mr Chowdhury, also adviser for Port and Customs of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the pace of business expansion following special initiatives taken by the Prime Minister, is appropriate and has been appreciated by the business community.  He said the lands in the port area are shared by the CPA and Railway authority but both are governmental organisations.  He said at the current perspective of the port's activities, its area needs to be doubled to keep pace with the growth of import and export, handling of cargo and calling of vessels at the port from across the globe.  As the headquarters of the Assam-Bengal Railway was in Chittagong, one-third area of the port city is under control of the Railway authority. A vast area of the Railway's unused lands, especially the left-out old structures, has turned out to be criminals' den over the decades with trading of drugs, Yaba and unsocial activities.  He urged the government to bring these railway lands under control of the Chittagong Port Authority for extension of its facilities for the sake of national economy.  The trade body leader also proposed construction of a railway line in the port area because it will immensely facilitate transportation of railway wagon-based cargo to different destinations of the country.  pankajdastider@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-08 00:00:04

Government passport authority feels it difficult to wrap up the long-drawn-out machine-readable passport (MRP) project for its insufficient delivery capacity, though the MRPs will be redundant pieces of travel document shortly. Another scheme, in the meantime, lies in wait for introducing electronic passport or e-passport, officials said.       The MRP project had gone through two-phase time extension and was scheduled to expire in June 2017. In the wake of such laggard run, the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) recently requested the government to extend the project further by a year. Concomitant with deadline failures the project cost also escalated in three phases to Tk 7.10 billion. An increase in the number of service centres in head offices and across the country also contributed to the cost rises. Initial project cost was Tk 3.10 billion that rose up to Tk 4.80 billion in the second phase. The government plans to launch next year e-passport to replace the MRP. Until then, the project is destined to be continued under a latest decision on its extension, the sources said. The MRP project, being implemented by IRIS Corporation Bhd Malaysia, was scheduled for handover to the DIP by 2014. Talking to the FE, DIP Director-General Masud Rezwan said the department is in a process of launching e-passport and the current project could be continued until the start of e-passport. "We need support of the project for software and technical management of the MRP," he said. The DIP is now preparing Development Project Proposal (DPP) for the launch of e-passport, he added. "We held a meeting last week on e-passport at the home ministry with its secretary in the chair." He further said the DIP is imparting training to its officials to enhance their capabilities to fit in the electronic passport regime. "It has also manpower shortage as some 1,020 officials are working across the country out of approved posts for 1184," he added. Each of the officials is able to provide services to maximum 40 service- seekers daily but they are serving 125 people on average, he said, referring to their constraints. Despite all this, the DIP has brought several reforms in passport-and visa- issuance processes. Since April last, passport-seekers of 65 foreign countries have got passport directly from the ministry of home affairs within a week, he said. Passports are printed centrally from the department's head office at Agargaon. "Earlier, the DIP had to send the passport via foreign ministry in a lengthy process. Expatriate Bangladeshis had to wait two-three months for a passport," he said. The DIP floated tenders and FedEx won the bid, he said. It has issued some 18.0 million MRPs so far through 67 passport offices across the country, he added. The DIP under the home ministry had launched the project for issuing about 18.4 million MRPs by 2014. Bangladesh had a compulsion to introduce MRP by April 2010 to comply with the International Civil Aviation Organisation requirements. Failure to become an ICAO member might affect Bangladeshi citizens' access to the international labour market and visas. The government would have to spend a large sum again for issuing electronic passports after the MRPs become invalid across the globe. All developed countries in the world have already introduced electronic passports. The e-passport may be issued for 10 years and might be a biometric passport containing detailed features of the holder. The government will float tender and start a project to make e-passport under build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis. doulot_akter@yahoo.com....

Published at: 2017-08-08 00:00:04