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| Photo Collected |
'Let Bangladesh be established as the economic hub of South Asia'
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunos on Friday urged the countrymen to continue their immense support to the interim government's port management scheme.
"I request countrymen not to become victims of baseless opposition and propaganda. Maintain your strong support for the interim government's step regarding port management. Challenge those opposing it," he said in his address to the nation, telecast live on TV on the holy Eid-ul-Azha occasion.
Since 1971 when Bangladesh achieved independence, Yunus said, the country could not achieve the level of economic progress that it was destined to and has yet to reach a position where it is destined to be standing tall in front of the world.
"We want Bangladesh to be the economic center of South Asia. To this end, we have worked to increase the capacity of the ports, besides improving investment services," he said.
Unless and until that happens, he warned, the issue of unemployment among millions of people in the country would not be resolved and the economic crisis would persist.
Replying to public worries, he further said that many have developed an interest in Chittagong port and even rumors have been spread that the port is being handed over to foreigners.
"I had stated earlier that the economic hub of Bangladesh is Chittagong port. Now, this hub is very weak. If we keep it like this, it would not be possible to move our economy ahead. This hub has to be enlarged, strengthened, and made more streamlined," he further added.
Instruction:
For that, Yunus continued, several steps need to be taken and professional expertize will be important.
The caretaker government is inviting the world's finest and most competent port operating managers.
He further said that these operators are operating ports in Europe, Canada, Australia, China, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Middle East, and Africa.
"Their job is to run ports, and our plan is to learn port running from them at the earliest. I can vouch that if we acquire port running skills by 2031, that is, within five years' time, by 2036, most of the ports run by these companies today will be run by Bangladeshis," he went on.
The head adviser stated that wherever one travels to a port in the future, they will see Bangladeshis there working. A lot of people will get jobs, as the port operators will employ Bangladeshis to fulfill their own personnel requirements, he added.
"If only we can ever learn the technology of port management, there will be one day when people of Chittagong, Noakhali, Sylhet, and Barisal will be seen in ports throughout the world—people of Bangladesh," he added.
Yunus also said that growth in Bangladeshi ports would not only boost the economy of Bangladesh alone but would positively affect the economies of neighboring countries as well, including Nepal and Bhutan.
He added that the ports would be the backbone of economic growth of the entire region.
He mentioned that the entire coastal stretch from Kumira to Teknaf will become a premier economic center of South Asia through growth in port activities.
Numerous industrial complexes will rise in the region since it is near the sea and more efficient.
A new industry will also be born, he went on, of fish production, fishing, and processing at sea using modern methods—giving birth to a totally new industry.
He guaranteed that national security and sovereignty of any country in the world have never been compromised where professional port operators are operating the ports.