Khagrachari Correspondent: The first land port international passenger terminal of Chittagong Hill Tracts has been inaugurated at Ramgarh in Khagrachari Hill district. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina auspiciously inaugurated the Ramgarh Upazila land port in the old subdivision of the district. He inaugurated the Ramgarh land port by connecting virtually from Ganabhaban.
Kujendra Lal Tripura, Member of Parliament of Khagrachari Parliamentary Constituency No. 298, Basanti Chakma, Member of Parliament for Women’s Constituency, and District Commissioner Md. Sahiduzzaman were present at the virtual inauguration of Ramgarh Land Port at the Khagrachari District Commissioner office on Tuesday (November 14th) morning.
On the occasion of the inauguration, the virtual inauguration ceremony of the Prime Minister was connected through the projector on the big screen in the terminal building, Ramgarh Government College Principal Professor Abdul Latif, Ramgarh 43BGB Staff Officer (AD) Raju Ahmed, Customers Officer Sarwar Uddin, Ramgarh Officer In-Charge Deb Priya Das, Ramgarh Municipality Panel Mayor-1 and Councilor Shamim Mahmud, Ramgarh Upazila Health Department Health and P&P, Officer Dr. ABM Mozammel Haque, Ramgarh Land Port Incharge Aftab Uddin, Terminal Superintendent Masum Billah, Terminal Police Incharge Monir Hossain along with public and private officials, public representatives and Journalists from district-upazila-departmental level were present.
Ramgarh Land Port’s International Passenger Terminal Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina connected virtually from Ganabhaban in the morning and inaugurated the first international standard passenger terminal in the hilly area after much waiting.
Ramgarh Land Port is the first land port in Chittagong Hill Tracts and the 15th land port in the country. India has constructed an international standard bridge called Bangladesh-India Friendship Setu-1 with a length of 412 meters and a width of 14.80 meters in the Mahamuni area of Ramgarh with the aim of opening the land port. The bridge, built at a cost of Tk 133 crore, was virtually inaugurated by the prime ministers of the two countries on March 9, 2021. The project is to build the Ramgarh Immigration Building at a cost of 15 crore rupees.
Already, 8 bridges and 8 culverts have been constructed under the supervision of JICA on the Baroyarhat-Heyako-Ramgarh road connected to the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Under the same project, the road load scale project on the main road in the Fenirkul area of Ramgarh has also been completed.
If the Ramgarh land port becomes operational, road connectivity will be created with the Seven Sisters states of India: Tripura, Nagaland, and Mizoram.
Chittagong Zilla Parishad Chairman ATM Payrul Islam said that Ramgarh land port is more important than Benapole in the country’s economic considerations. It takes a lot of time to go from Chittagong to Benapole. But if Ramgarh opens, the goods that are imported and exported through Benapole Land Port will be able to be imported in less time and at a lower cost. Which is positive for the entire country in economic terms. This land port will take Chittagong to unique heights in the future.
President of Khagrachari Chamber of Commerce and Industries and former chairman of Parbatya Zilla Parishad, Kanjari Chowdhury, said the biggest beneficiaries of this port will be the northeastern states of India. They will take advantage of the easy and low-cost transportation of goods using the Chittagong port. Bangladeshi traders will also get a new export gateway. Besides, Bangladesh can easily import livestock, fruits, timber, seeds, wheat, stone, coal, fertilizer, etc. from India. Above all, this port will bring new economic opportunities for the people of Greater Chittagong and Chittagong Hill Tracts; the mountain tourism industry will be developed.
Aftab Uddin, port in-charge of Ramgarh land port, said that all kinds of activities of terminal shed, bank, customs, BGB, and police have been completed at a cost of 15 crores to start immigration activities through Ramgarh land port. So far, the work has not been started due to border complications regarding the construction of the land port. Due to this, the passenger terminal has been inaugurated, but passenger traffic is not starting for now. After receiving instructions from the higher authorities, the immigration process will start.
It is to be noted that the Prime Minister virtually laid and inaugurated the foundation stone of 10 thousand 41 infrastructure projects across the country from Gana Bhavan. Their cost has been estimated at 97 thousand 471 crore, or three lakh rupees. Among them, Ramgarh International Passenger Terminal, with a cost of Tk 15 crore, was a notable facility.
