Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan yesterday termed the recent movement of former Chittagong Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury for saving the Chittagong port “irrational.”
He said those who have been conducting movements in the name of saving the port were not doing so in reality.
“We sat with him [ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury] to talk about his 10-point demands. He could not show rationality of the demands during discussion. In fact his demands are irrational,” the minister said while inaugurating excavation of a connecting canal of Karnaphuli River.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has started excavating connecting canals, Chaktai and Rajakhali, with its newly procured equipment Water Master-Classic-4 with an aim to remove water-logging from the city.
Shahjahan Khan said the Karnaphuli would not be allowed to turn into another Buriganga. Water-logging problem would be removed from the port city by retrieving the canals, he added.
Referring to a recent comment of Mohiuddin Chowdhury, president of ruling Awami League Chittagong unit, he said those who are saying that the Chittagong Port has been in the clutch of the “mafias” were not telling the truth.
Mohiuddin Chowdhury recently gave a one-month ultimatum to take necessary measures against corruption in procurement of the Chittagong port and removal of container operator Saif Power Tech from the port.
CPA Chairman Nizamuddin Ahmed, Chittagong Mayor M Manjur Alam, Chairman of the National River Protection Commission Ataharul Islam were present at the inauguration among others.
