Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury today said the national budget is being prepared with the development potential of every region of Bangladesh in mind, adding that Chattogram will become a logistics hub after the budget is implemented.
The minister made the remarks while speaking to journalists at Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport on Saturday morning after arriving in the city to attend a series of programmes.
He was received at the airport by Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Shahadat Hossain. Also present were Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Belayet Hossain and several leaders of the BNP.
Highlighting Chattogram's prospects, Khosru said, "It is not only the seaport. Chattogram has a unique geographical position and a strategic location. Considering all these advantages, we have incorporated a number of initiatives into our plans to fully utilise the city's potential."
The finance minister said the government has decided to set up an economic zone on 600 acres of land on the southern bank of the Karnaphuli river as part of its plan to turn Chattogram into a logistics hub, and this is reflected in the new budget.
Speaking about plans for Shah Amanat International Airport, he said the government intends to develop it into both a cargo hub and a passenger hub. He also noted that a Chinese Economic Zone is planned in the region. To improve connectivity, the government plans to construct a chord line to reduce travel time on the Dhaka-Chattogram railway route.
"Once these projects are completed, the transport corridor linking Chattogram with the rest of Bangladesh will be significantly strengthened. Chattogram will become a logistics hub, and the country's ports will be able to handle much larger volumes of cargo. At the same time, a major development initiative is underway in Matarbari," he said.
He added that the budget has been designed with the region's long-term economic potential in mind.
"This is a long-term process and will take several years. However, we are trying to begin the work as quickly as possible," he said.
"The economy has been adversely affected by the conflict in the Middle East. We inherited an economy that is in a very fragile condition. Our first task is to stabilise it. Once we emerge from this fragile situation, we will be able to focus on realising the country's economic potential."
He expressed optimism that Bangladesh's economy would begin to recover and return to a path of growth by the third or fourth year of the government's economic reform programme.
