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SANGSAD BHABAN, Sept 7, 2026 (BSS) — Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam today said all illegally occupied land of Chattogram port would be recovered within the next two months to make the port completely free from encroachment.

Rabiul said this while replying to a supplementary question from opposition Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shahjahan Chowdhury (Chattogram-15) in the Jatiya Sangsad.

Raising the issue of illegal leasing and occupation of different areas of Chattogram port, Shahjahan Chowdhury sought to know about the government’s steps to recover the occupied land.

In reply, the minister said leases of several areas of the port had already been cancelled. Of the three areas whose leases were cancelled, two had already been recovered, while a case concerning recovery of the remaining area is pending with the court.

He said ownership disputes over some port areas exist between the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Shipping. During his recent visit to Chattogram, he heard the details of the matter and gave necessary decisions.

“Cases pending with the court will be settled through arbitration,” he said, expressing hope that no area of Chattogram port would remain under illegal occupation within the next two months.

Shaikh Rabiul Alam said the operational efficiency of Chattogram port had improved significantly, with ships no longer having to wait for long periods to unload cargo.

Ships staying at berths or deep-sea facilities can now unload cargo, reload and leave within two days, whereas the process previously took eight to 10 days, he said.

He said Chattogram and Mongla ports are currently handling record levels of revenue collection and container movement.

The minister said the Patenga Container Terminal is being operated according to international standards, while the Laldia Container Terminal is being developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

He said the Laldia terminal would attract around US$800 million in investment and create employment opportunities for nearly 3,000 people.
 
Replying to another supplementary question from opposition Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Md. Quamrul Hassan (Mymensingh-6), the minister said around 7,500 kilometres of waterways across the country had been kept operational through dredging.

He said dredging is currently underway on another 1,200 kilometres of waterways.

Regarding river pollution around Dhaka, the minister said authorities had identified 424 pollution sources and spots.

He said the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA), two city corporations, Narayanganj and Gazipur city corporations, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), the Ministry of Water Resources and other relevant agencies are working in coordination to free the five rivers surrounding Dhaka from pollution.

Regarding the reintroduction of water bus services, Shaikh Rabiul Alam said the project incurred losses of Tk 57 crore over the past 10 years.

He said the BIWTA had identified the problems and taken a fresh initiative to revive the service.

“We hope to introduce water bus services on the ring waterways around Dhaka within the next two to three months,” he said.

Replying to another supplementary question from opposition Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Sabikun Nahar (Women’s Reserved Seat-39), the minister said the BIWTA identifies illegal river encroachments, prepares lists and seeks assistance from local administrations to conduct eviction drives.

However, he said, the BIWTA does not have direct legal authority to remove encroachers.

“Eviction drives are not progressing at the expected pace in some areas due to logistical limitations of local administrations,” the minister said.