United News of Bangladesh

Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Sunday criticised the Payra Sea Port project as a ‘poisonous boil for the country’s economy,’ lamenting that no one had highlighted the lack of feasibility for a river port without annual dredging and the unlikelihood of establishing a seaport in its initial stage. “This sort of project that reaches at the middle of it is a poisonous boil for the economy,” he said while briefing reporters about the outcome of the weekly Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus in the chair. Payra Power Plant’s Unit 2 to remain offline for maintenance for 2 months He lamented that at the initial stage of this project no one was there to point out that there is no possibility to set up a river port here without yearly dredging, whereas the seaport is a far cry. Mentioning that the physical implementation of the project is 72 percent till now while the financial implementation is more than half, the adviser said, “We can axe the project if we think that this project is a bad project, but that cannot be done, the port was established preliminarily to import coal for the power plant.” Wahiduddin Mahmud said that two advisers have already visited the port lamenting that this is not a seaport, not a river port, it is merely a dock for boats. Two dredgers have been bought for this port which will be used round the year to dredge the long channel, he mentioned. “Without dredging it cannot be used as a river port,” Wahiduddin Mahmud said, adding that without this the power plant cannot be managed to run. Govt to develop container terminal -1 at Payra Port under PPP The Planning Adviser said that Ecnec asked him to visit the port and find the best solution for this project. “I can say right now that there is no best solution to this--theoretically this is a bad project.” Wahiduddin Mahmud said that this project can be stopped, but the coal-based power plant cannot be shut down. “This plant is running well, we have to bring coal for this one,” he added. But, he said, this project will be termed a loss project in the coming future as it will incur loss for the country. Coal shortage forces Payra Power Plant to shut down operation The Port of Payra, situated in Kalapara, Patuakhali, Bangladesh, was established through an Act of Parliament in 2013 and officially inaugurated in 2016. Located on the Ramnabad Channel, near the Bay of Bengal, the port is supposed to serve as a key gateway for maritime trade in the region.  

Planning and Education Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud on Wednesday said that the Education Ministry has no direct role in addressing the problems faced by private universities in the country, as these institutions are managed by their respective trustee boards. “Private universities are governed by their trustee boards. The government only grants approval for their operation, but the Education Ministry has no authority to intervene in their internal issues,” he told reporters following an ECNEC meeting at the NEC conference room. Dr Wahiduddin highlighted the challenges faced by students when trustee boards become dysfunctional or face crises. He pointed out that if trustees or university officials such as vice-chancellors, pro-vice-chancellors, and treasurers, appointed by the President, leave or are forced out, it creates confusion and panic among students. “It becomes a significant crisis—arguably a larger legal challenge than managing public universities,” he said, emphasizing that such disputes should be resolved through legal channels in the courts. Don’t know when all students will get textbooks: Education Adviser Dr Wahiduddin also acknowledged student frustrations, particularly their expectation that the Education Ministry or its adviser should intervene to resolve these matters. "Students think, 'This is about education, so the Education Adviser will fix everything.' But if this situation continues, even I don’t know where to turn," he added. On Tuesday, students of Primeasia University staged a demonstration near the Jatiya Press Club to press their nine-point demand. The demands included establishing a permanent campus, the resignation of the trustee board chairman, and the appointment of a neutral administrator to address ongoing crises at the university. Tensions escalated when a group of protesting students clashed with police near the main gate of the Bangladesh Secretariat. The students had attempted to enter the Secretariat to present their demands, resulting in confrontations with law enforcement.