The president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry has urged the Bangladeshi government to accelerate investment in inland waterway infrastructure, arguing that improved river transport could significantly reduce the cost of doing business and ease pressure on the country’s congested road networks.
Taskeen Ahmed, president of the chamber, made the remarks during a meeting on Sunday with Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka.
Ahmed said Bangladesh’s extensive river network had historically provided one of the cheapest methods for transporting industrial raw materials and goods, but that its potential remained underused due to siltation, declining navigability and illegal river encroachment.
He called for greater emphasis on riverbank recovery, planned dredging operations and infrastructure upgrades to improve trade logistics and support economic growth.
The business leader welcomed the government’s plan to excavate 20,000 kilometres of waterways over the next five years, saying the initiative could expand inland water transport capacity, lower logistics costs and improve irrigation and agricultural productivity.
Ahmed also proposed better use of waterways surrounding the capital through the development of a 112-kilometre circular route linking the Buriganga, Turag, Balu, Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari rivers. He said the network could serve as an alternative transport corridor and help reduce chronic traffic congestion in Dhaka.
He further urged authorities to involve private companies through public-private partnership arrangements in dredging and canal excavation projects.
Responding during the meeting, Water Resources Minister Anee said the government remained committed to the sustainable development of inland waterways, which he described as one of the country’s most cost-effective transport options.
The minister said several initiatives were already under way and called for greater private sector participation in the nationwide canal excavation programme. He added that successful implementation of the projects would support local economic activity while helping establish a more environmentally sustainable transport network.
Senior officials from the chamber, including senior vice-president Razeev H Chowdhury, vice-president Md. Salem Sulaiman and acting secretary general Dr AKM Asaduzzaman Patwary, also attended the meeting.