Nepal interested in using Bangladesh seaports for goods transportation: State minister for shipping

Nepal has shown keen interest in using Chattogram, Mongla and Payra seaports in Bangladesh to facilitate transportation of goods, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said today (13 February).

"Nepal is discussing the issue at the prime minister level to expand their commercial activities using the ports," he told reporters after a meeting with Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanshyam Bhandari expressed at the Secretariat. 

Noting that Nepal and Bangladesh have massive engagement, the envoy said a huge number of Nepalese students studying in Bangladesh.

Ghanshyam Bhandari said Nepal uses Banglabandha and Burimari land ports for carrying freights by using some areas of India.

The state minister said, "There were discussions on how Nepal can connect with Bangladesh by directly using India's 23 km of land. Bangladesh, India and Nepal will work together to use this route directly. 

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has discussed this issue during her recent visit to India. If the route opens, trade and commercial activities will expand."

308 rivers lost navigability in the country

Meanwhile, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said some 308 rivers have lost navigability in the country.

Among those rivers, 85 are in Dhaka division, 71 in Rangpur division, 18 in Rajshahi division, 11 in Chittagong division, 10 in Sylhet division, 26 in Mymensingh division and 87 in Khulna division, he told Parliament today.

The state minister said this while responding to a question of the ruling party MP elected from Chattogram-11.

He said according to the information of the River Commission, the total number of rivers in Bangladesh is 1,008.

According to the District Administration and Water Development Board, there are 931 flowing rivers in Bangladesh, Khalid Mahmud said.