The Mongla Port Authority on Thursday celebrated its 72nd anniversary.
In 1950, the British merchant ship The City of Lions anchored at a place called Jaymonirgol on the Pashur River in the Sundarbans and it marked the establishment of the port of Mongla.
Mongla Port in Bagerhat, Bangladesh's second-largest seaport, saw a record number of merchant ships anchored at the port recently after incurring losses between 2001 and 2008 fiscal years.
Between 2004 and 2005 the port incurred a loss worth Tk11 crore, according to a press release.
But it made a turnaround riding on capacity building after the Awami League came to power in 2009.
Slowly the authorities took initiatives one by one to modernize and develop the port. Since then a record number of foreign vessels have been coming to the port.
To observe the anniversary, the port area was decorated with colourful lights and all the anchored vessels blew their whistle at once at midnight on Wednesday. Special prayer was organized at the mosques in the Mongla port area yesterday.
A procession was brought out in the morning by the port authorities where the Chairman of the Mongla Port Authority Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa cut a cake and announced the opening of the celebration. Later, a documentary on the port was also screened.
The chairman at his address mentioned that the port was once a loss concern but the AL government through various initiatives brought it to profitability. He hoped that the port will become a shipping hub under the direct patronage of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Different officials of the port were later handed over crests for their outstanding contribution.
