Dredging of the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel in Bagerhat district is nearly complete, and the channel will be fully open for river traffic on June 1, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said yesterday.
Speaking at a press conference in the Secretariat, the minister also said with the reopening of this channel, the water route through the Sela River will be closed down, which will be helpful for the biodiversity of the Sundarbans.
The dredging started on July 1 last year to improve the channel’s navigability so that heavy vessels could travel through it. Once the dredging is complete, the channel will be 330 feet wide, the minister said.
The channel has already been open to lighter traffic since May 6 on an experimental basis, he added.
Reopening of the channel will bring respite to the ecosystem of the Sundarbans, which was severely damaged after an oil tanker capsized and spilled more than 350,000 litres of furnace oil into the Sela on December 9.
Due to the oil spill, the movement of vessels was suspended on the route, but was resumed on January 6 despite environmental concerns.