Special Correspondent //

Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus said, Sandwip is not just for the islanders, it is an important asset of Bangladesh. We want to develop Sandwip as a ‘resort island’. Where new horizons of tourism, economy and education will open.

He said these words while joining a virtual gathering as the chief guest on the occasion of the inauguration of a ferry service in the Bay of Bengal to facilitate travel to Sandwip from the plains.

A ferry service has been launched in the Bay of Bengal to facilitate travel to Sandwip from the plains. Through this, the ferry era has begun with the island upazila, which is isolated from the mainland of the country. This ferry service has created immense enthusiasm among the people of Sandwip.

On this occasion, a colorful gathering was organized at 11 am at the Sandwip Upazila Complex ground on Monday.

Earlier in the morning, the scheduled ferry ‘Kapotaksha’ carrying the advisors left from Banshbaria in Sitakunda Upazila, on the other side of the Bay of Bengal, to the Guptachara end of Sandwip. After reaching the Guptachara ghat in Sandwip, the ferry service was officially inaugurated by the interim government’s shipping advisor, retired Brigadier General M Sakhawat Hossain. Five other advisors were present at the time.

Six advisors joined the gathering to inaugurate the ferry service in Sandwip. Apart from M Sakhawat Hossain, the other five advisors are – Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, advisor to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Water Resources, Faruk-e-Azam Birpratik, advisor to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, and Professor Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar and Fisheries and Livestock Advisor Farida Akhtar.

At the ceremony, Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain said that this ferry ghat will be named after the two heroic sons of Sandwip, Shaheed Saikat and Shaheed Mahin, who were martyred in the July Uprising. This ghat will be a symbol of our pride.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that along with tourism development, environmental protection should not be disturbed in any way. Sustainable tourism should be ensured by protecting the natural beauty of Sandwip.

Farida Akhtar, Advisor to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, said in her speech that the people of Sandwip play an important role in producing fish, meat and dairy products throughout the year. With the launch of this ferry service, the island’s agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors will further prosper. Sandwip’s products will now be able to reach the mainland faster, which will accelerate economic growth.

Fawzul Kabir Khan, a son of Sandwip and advisor to the government in the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, said, “The people of Sandwip have been dreaming of this for many years. Today, that dream has come true. I express my sincere gratitude to those behind this project. I would like to thank Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. Sakhawat Hossain and Farida Akhtar, without whose tireless efforts and cooperation this would not have been possible. I appeal to the people of Sandwip to use this new opportunity and work together to further advance the trend of development.

Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, Advisor to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor, Professor Dr. Mohammad Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, among others, were present as special guests at the Sudhi rally.

The event was welcomed by Commodore Arif Ahmed Mustafa, Chairman of BIWTA, and presided over by Mohammad Yusuf, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping.

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