Move to carry hajj pilgrims by sea

CHITTAGONG, Feb 26: Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan here today said that process was underway to carry pilgrims from Chittagong by sea routes at an affordable cost from October 1 next, reports BSS.
The Shipping Minister informed this while talking to reporters after inaugural function of Free Medical Camp under the auspices of Asmat Ali Khan Research Foundation and management of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) at Port Hospital this morning.
The Minister said necessary preparations and arrangement have almost completed to carry bigger number of pilgrims by water routes at less cost from the port city of Chittagong up to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
The process to hire two ships to this end is at final stage. Shahjahan Khan said the journey might take 6 to 7 days and same time would be required for return journey. With the Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan in the chair, Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury opened the Free Medical Camp as chief guest of the inaugural ceremony.
Later, the minister inaugurated computerized hospital management system of the CPA at the Port Hospital. CPA Chairman Commodore R U Ahmed, Chief Medical Officer of Chittagong Port Hospital Mir Mohammad Shafiullah and physician living in Kenya and younger brother of the Shipping Minister Mahbubur Rahman Khan and Kenyan expert surgeon Dr Meshak Anguthi among others spoke at the function.
The Foundation named after late father of the Shipping Minister Asmat Ali Khan and main motto of the charity organization is to provide healthcare facilities to insolvent segments of the society who have been deprived from proper treatment due to lack of money. Late Asmat Ali Khan was a close political comrade of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and he was elected lawmaker for three times from Madaripur constituency.
The Shipping Minister himself has been performing the responsibility of the Foundation as President and the family members of Khan have been providing required money and other logistics for running the activities of the organization.
The Minister said the Foundation conducted Free Medical Camp and provided other healthcare facilities to poor people of Madaripur area and for the first time it is organizing 5-days such camp with the assistance of Chittagong Port Hospital.
Speaking at the function, Shahjahan Khan also said present government has started the process to establish modern healthcare centers in the country to ensure improved treatment to the complicated diseases and set up community health clinic in rural areas for providing healthcare services to poor people.
He said a modern hospital would be set up in Chittagong on the land of CPA with assistance from noted Indian physician Dr Devi Shetty and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the specialized medical facility in June next.
He said he along with a delegation have already visited the hospital run under the supervision of Dr Shetty in Bangalore in India to gather knowledge on how poor people are getting improved treatment from the hospital at minimum cost.
The Shipping Minister said previous Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina introduced community health clinic system for the interest of poor people but BNP-Jamaat alliance government stopped the activities of the facilities just out of jealous and hatred.
” Again we are started working to reach healthcare services to doorsteps of the people,” the minister said.
Taking part in the discussion, City Mayor A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury said serving mankind is the greatest religion and virtue.
He said CCC has been providing proper treatment facilities to city dwellers with its limited resources.
The City Mayor said Chittagong port is lifeline of the country”s economy and its earnings could be jumped up to 10 times if we provide transit facilities to our neighbors through this port.
He termed them selfish and conspirator who have been opposing the transit facility and said workers and employees of the CPA along with people of all strata were prepared to implement properly the Prime Minister”s decision on transit facility.

Courtesy of BSS via The News Today