Travel to Sandwip is like a punishment: Advisor Fawzul

Chittagong Bureau    |    ০৩:২৮ পিএম, ২০২৫-০১-১৯

The Advisor on Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, Mohammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, commented that traveling from Chattogram to Sandwip is a punishment. He stated, "Sandwip is an isolated island. If you want to punish someone, you can say, 'Go to Sandwip.' Women have to wade through water up to their waists and board boats carrying goods on their heads. In addition, there are various mismanagement issues at the docks."

After inspecting the activities at the Banshbaria-Guptachhara ferry terminal on Sunday morning, January 19, he made these remarks. Referring to areas in the country that have not experienced development, he mentioned, "We need to reach the places where development has not yet reached. The people of Sandwip are being held hostage. It’s not a crime for people to go home or meet relatives. My home is also in Sandwip, but that’s not the main issue. The main issue is development. Development has taken place only in Dhaka and big cities. According to the instructions of the Chief Advisor, we need to ensure that development reaches areas where it hasn’t yet."

Regarding the plan to build a bridge in the island district of Bhola, Advisor Fawzul said, "We are thinking about building a bridge in Bhola. Similarly, we will look into the ferry system in Sandwip, and later we will think about road connectivity. However, it’s important to remember that road construction is very expensive. So, if there is no economic activity in that area, investing in roads wouldn’t be justified."

He mentioned that Bhola is a potential area, saying, "Why are we thinking about a bridge in Bhola? Because natural gas has been discovered there, and the need for transportation has increased. If you want to go to Sandwip to eat Chitol Pitha, you wouldn’t justify spending 10–15 thousand crore taka to build a bridge. That would be unfair, given the limited resources of the government."

When asked when ferry operations might begin, a project-related official responded, "We are currently working on the approach roads on both sides. Our target is to have it operational by March 10. The Honorable Chief Advisor inquires about this regularly, and we are proceeding with the work accordingly, aiming to complete it on time, Insha’Allah."

In response to another question, the Chief Engineer (Dredging) of BIWTA, Rokibul Islam Talukder, said, "We won’t need a license from our company to operate speedboats. Anyone who brings a speedboat can operate it, provided it is registered. We are dredging the ferry terminal, and the roadwork is being done by the armed forces. We hope to begin operations by March 10."