A workers’ welfare medical center for Mongla Port workers has been relaunched after remaining closed for 10 years.
Mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Talukder Abdul Khaleque reopened the medical center at Delta Barracks in Old Port area in Mongla of Bagerhat on Thursday.
Talukder Abdul Khaleque said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has contributed to all the development that has taken place and is taking place around Mongla Port. After coming to power, the PM took various development projects around the port of Mongla and implemented them successfully, he added.
He further said, due to the dredging of the outer bar of Mongla port, now big ships are coming directly to the port. Besides, the port jetty is full of ships. This has been possible due to the will of the Prime Minister. He added that the PM had built the EPZ during her tenure to make the port more active.
At present, the development activities of the economic zone are also going on. In addition, to make the port more dynamic, the work of Khan Jahan Ali Airport at Foyla in between Mongla-Rampal is also progressing. Work on Khulna-Mongla railway line is also going on at a fast pace. Besides, only three spans have remain to be installed on the Padma Bridge. When the Padma Bridge will be opened, activity of the port will be further increased.
The Mongla Port is playing a major role in the economic development of the country along with the south-western part of the country. This port will further enrich the economy of Bangladesh in the future. The Mayor urged the concerned traders and workers including the port authorities to work sincerely in this regard.
Earlier, he unveiled the name plate of a new medical center built for the treatment of workers inside the defunct Dock Workers Management Board compound in the old port area of the municipal city. Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan, Director (Administration) Gias Uddin, Upazila Chairman Abu Taher Hawlader and leaders of port users and business organizations were present on the occasion.
Rear Admiral M Shahjahan said that due to the inauguration of the medical service center, the workers engaged in loading and unloading of ships at Mongla port will get regular medical services. Reopening of this Worker Welfare Medical Center was a long cherished dream of the port workers and fortunately we were able to fulfill their expectations.
It is to be noted that the workers' hospital has been closed since 2010 after the abolition of the Dock Workers Management Board during the previous caretaker government. After nearly 10 years, the port authorities have re-launched the new service center to provide medical services to the workers in response to the demands of the workers and employees.
