For the first time, a shipment of garments produced in Bangladesh has been shipped abroad from Mongla port, opening a new avenue for the export sector in the country, bdnews24.com reports.
The Maersk Nesna, a ship bearing the flag of Panama, left the port for Poland at 11:30 am Thursday.
The ship is carrying 17 containers of garments from over two dozen factories in Dhaka and its surrounding areas.
“It is a memorable day for Mongla port,” said Mongla Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa. “A month after the inauguration of the Padma Bridge, garment shipments have used the bridge to reach Mongla and paved a new way for garments exports. This will only expand in the future.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Padma Bridge on Jun 25 and opened it to traffic the following day, easing travel from Dhaka to south-western districts.
The distance from Dhaka to Mongla is only 170 kilometres, compared to the 260 kilometres from Dhaka to Chattogram, Musa said.
For a number of reasons, businesses in Dhaka did not make use of the Mongla port. However, now that the Padma Bridge has opened, they are more eager to do so and the port authority is taking the necessary steps.
“We are taking steps to make ship handling faster and safer. Businesses are excited to take advantage of the time and cost savings.”