The Hindu : U.S. envoy criticised for remarks on port project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 22, 2002

International

International

U.S. envoy criticised for remarks on port project

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA Sept. 21. The U.S. Ambassador in Bangladesh, Mary Ann Peters, has come under fire for her reported comments about the construction of a controversial private container port in Chittagong which was proposed by an American company.

Ms. Peters was in Chittagong, the country's main sea port, for the "American Week" inaugurated on Wednesday. Ms. Peters visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts and held meetings with officials and both tribal and non-tribal leaders.

She pledged greater U.S. investment in the region affected by the tribal insurgency for nearly two decades now.

The U.S. envoy told a news conference that expediting approval of the port project "will ensure that Bangladesh joins the ranks of its fast growing Asian neighbours."

She hoped that Bangladesh would soon clear the Private Container Terminal (PCT) project proposed by the U.S. company SSA.

"Negotiations for the terminal port are complete. But I don't know when the signing of the deal will take place," she said.

She acknowledged that there was a controversy over the proposed port but referred to Bangladesh businessmen as saying that "the country is in dire need of such a facility as the existing Chittagong port is one of the most expensive and slowest such facility in the world".

The U.S. company, Stevedoring Services of America (SSA), had proposed installation of the private container port several years ago but it faced resistance, mainly by port workers and local politicians.

Asked by journalists why the SSA was keen on building the terminal port only at the estuary of the port channel, a major issue of controversy, she said no American company would invest a huge amount of money without conducting a technical feasibility study.

"The SSA experts had chosen the right place considering the future business prospects."

Over the last few years, the American company has been trying to get the Government's approval for the container port.

The leader of the resistance movement is the present Mayor of Chittagong, A.B.M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury, who recently alleged that he was offered money by a senior U.S. official to withdraw the resistance against the proposed port.

The U.S. Embassy, however, denied the charge.

Mr. Mohiuddin, who is a key leader of the opposition Awami League, said the opposition was not to the container port but the proposed site.

Meanwhile, the "All Party Committee" formed against the plan to set up the private container port has criticised the American envoy for her comments about the Chittagong port and termed it "part of an international conspiracy".

Port workers have decided to stop work once the deal is signed between the Government and the American company.

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