Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 14.3km channel of the Matarbari deep sea port, alongside 14 other projects this afternoon in Cox's Bazar.

She also laid the foundation stone for four other projects,  which are estimated to cost Tk18,000 crore, at around 4:00pm Saturday (11 November) from the Maheshkhali upazila of the district. 

"When the opposition party was in power, I came to these areas and saw that there was nothing except salt cultivation here. I stood by those salt farmers. I came to Matarbari to see the cyclone-damaged area in 1991. I listened to the general demands of the people of these areas. So after coming to power, I started working on the development of these areas," the premier said while addressing a rally there.

"I inaugurated the railway line today. Now it will be easy to go to Chattogram and Dhaka by rail [from Cox's Bazar]," she added.

Earlier on the day, the premier inaugurated the 102km Dohazari to Cox's Bazar railway line, marking the establishment of the first rail link to Bangladesh's southeast coast.

The rail line, constructed at a cost of Tk18034.47 crore, is expected to usher in new hope for the country's economy by boosting tourism, industrialisation, business and trade as well.

Meanwhile, the construction of the Matarbari deep-sea port, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), began in 2016.

Stakeholders say the deep-sea port will be a game changer for the Bangladesh economy. It is expected to start loading mother vessels in 2026.

The Matarbari deep-sea port, which is modelled after Japan's Kashima port, will play a vital role in South Asian trade with ASEAN countries.

Currently, most of Bangladesh's imported goods arrive at Singapore, Colombo, Hong Kong, or Malaysia by mother vessels, as the Chattogram port can only accommodate ships with a draft of up to 10 metres. Feeder vessels then transport the goods to Chattogram.

Once the Matarbari deep-sea port is completed, any ship in the world will be able to dock there, including ships with a length of 350 metres and a draft of 18 metres, said Chattogram Port Authority's chief hydrographer M Arifur Rahman.

Lighter vessels will then transport goods from Matarbari to the Chattogram port and the Bay Terminal, reducing time and cost and speeding up transportation.

Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Md Omar Farooq said that the Matarbari deep-sea port will be a transit port like the Port Kelang, Singapore and other ports. New routes will be launched with various ports of the world including Europe and the USA.