Shipping adviser retired Brigadier General M Sakhawat Hussain said on Wednesday that the interim government was going to appoint an operator to the Chattogram port, but not giving the port itself to anyone.
He said that they had already completed several steps and procedures to that end so that the whole process for appointing the operator was completed by December.
鈥楾he port is not being given to anyone. An operator will be appointed for its management,鈥� adviser Sakhawat said while responding to queries from reporters at a seminar on 鈥楴avigating the Blue Economy: Ocean Resources Management in Bangladesh鈥�.
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies organised the seminar at its auditorium in the capital Dhaka.
The adviser said that the process of appointing an operator began five years back, but none had raised any protest against it.
His remarks on the issue came at a time when several socio-political organisations are protesting against the government move to lease out Chattogram port services to a foreign company.
Addressing the seminar, Sakhawat, who is also responsible for the labour and employment ministry, said that Bangladesh could not make any progress in the exploration of the blue economy due to lack of 鈥榩olitical willingness鈥�.
Three presentations were delivered at the seminar with BIISS director general Major General Iftekhar Anis in the chair.
A presentation titled 鈥楨nsuring Sustainable Exploitation of Bangladesh鈥檚 Ocean Resources: Opportunities and Constraints鈥� was delivered by retired Commodore Sheikh Mahmudul Hassan, additional secretary at the maritime affairs unit at the foreign affairs ministry, the second presentation titled 鈥楾owards Integrated Ocean Management: Strategic Priorities and Regional Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal鈥� was given by Dhaka University international relations professor Lailufar Yasmin while the third presentation titled 鈥楳apping Legal and Policy Frameworks for Ocean Governance in Bangladesh: Identifying Gaps and Policy Imperatives鈥� was made by聽 BIISS research fellow Moutusi Islam.
The speakers said that Bangladesh鈥檚 growing population and shrinking land resources were pushing the nation to tap its maritime potential.
The Bay of Bengal is central to this effort鈥� not only for its rich marine resources but also for its strategic location, as over 90 per cent of Bangladesh鈥檚 trade is conducted through sea routes, they mentioned.
They underlined the need for integrating sustainable practices with technological innovation, community engagement and policy coordination so that Bangladesh could harness its ocean wealth to reduce poverty, strengthen resilience to climate change, ensure food security, and promote inclusive and environmentally responsible blue growth.
They also called for strengthening regional partnerships through agreements, knowledge exchange and capacity-building initiatives to make sure that ocean resources were used efficiently, equitably and sustainably for the benefit of all countries in the region.
Senior officials from different ministries, serving and retired military officials, academicians and students from various universities, representatives from various think tanks and businesses took part in the discussion.
