MONGLA PORT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: India has expressed interest in operating the Mongla Port in Bangladesh and constructing a new terminal there amid China's efforts to run the strategically-located port.

Mongla Port

• Location: Mongla, also called Mongla Port, formerly Chalna Port, is a port city in southwestern Bangladesh.

oFormerly located at Chalna, about 11 miles (18 km) upstream on the Pusur River, the port now serves as the main seaport for the country’s western region.

• Geographic Position: Mongla Port lies close to the shore of the Bay of Bengal and the Pashur River.
• Rank and Activity: Mongla Port is the second largest and second busiest seaport in Bangladesh.
• Alternative: Due to increasing congestion in Bangladesh’s largest port in Chittagong, many international shipping companies have turned to Mongla as an alternative.
• Major Exports: Jute, leather, tobacco, frozen fish, and shrimp.
• Major Imports: Grain, cement, fertilizer, coal, and wood pulp.
• Tourism Gateway: Mongla serves as a gateway for tourist ships traveling to the Sunderbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.