Country to suffer if port city stays underdeveloped: LGRD minister

Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Tajul Islam on Saturday said Bangladesh will lag behind in global arena if the country’s port city remains underdeveloped, underscoring that his government is concerned about the city's development.

He made the remarks while addressing a discussion on development and industrialisation of Chattagram at the World Trade Center in Chattagram, organised by the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

Mirsarai in Chattagram is gradually becoming an industrial zone, but the problem of getting drinking water in the Mirsarai Economic Zone is yet to be resolved, said the minister.

However, the government is planning to bring in water from the Halda river to ensure a clean water supply – of course, without causing a harm to the river, the minister assured.

CCCI President M Mahabubul Alam presided over the programme, attended by LGRD secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed, Chattogram City Corporation administrator Khorshed Alam Sujon, Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Zahirul Alam Dobhas, Divisional Commissioner ABM Azad, Deputy Commissioner Ilias Hossain, Chittagong WASA Director ABM Faizullah, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Chairman Pawan Chowdhury, and Chittagong Port Authority member (Admin) Zafar Alam.