DHAKA – Bangladesh has zeroed in on Sonadia Island in the Bay of Bengal to develop its first deep-sea port, which, if given the green light, will be in direct competition with a Myanmar deep-sea port planned for Maday Island in Rakhine State.

A tourist spot at present, Sonadia Island is about seven kilometres off Cox’s Bazar and is about nine square kilometres in area, located close to Myanmar.

A Shipping Ministry proposal backed by the recommendations of Pacific Consultants International (PCI), a Japanese firm, is to go before the Advisors Economic Affairs Comm-ittee shortly, according to a report in the Daily Star newspaper.

The shipping ministry believes that a seaport in Bangladesh has the potential to turn into a regional hub because of its geographic location.

The Bangladeshi government hopes this port might attract many South Asian nations, particularly landlocked Nepal and Bhutan, northeastern India, Myanmar and southern parts of China for their cargo shipment needs.

Myanmar firm Asia World Co., Ltd announced late last month it would build a deep-sea port at Kyaukphyu on Maday Island to serve as a transit point for regional cargo ships. – IANS