Security tightened across Sundarbans, Dacope and Mongla ahead of PM’s visit.
Security has been strengthened in the Sundarbans, Dacope upazila and Mongla Port ahead of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to the southwestern region on October 22.
At a security coordination meeting held on Monday afternoon, members of the Special Security Force (SSF), police, Coast Guard, Special Response Battalion (SRB), intelligence agencies and other security bodies were given necessary instructions regarding the visit.
According to district administration sources, this will be the prime minister's first visit to Mongla Port, the Sundarbans and the Rupsha-Pashur river basin region since assuming office.
Under the tour schedule, the prime minister will leave Tejgaon Airport in Dhaka by helicopter at 9:00am on Thursday. He is scheduled to observe Hiron Point and extensive areas of the Sundarbans from the air at 10:00am before landing at the Nalian Secondary School ground in Dacope upazila of Khulna at 10:30am.
He will then travel by waterway to BNS Mongla in Bagerhat, where he is scheduled to visit the Mongla Port jetty, inspect the proposed economic zone of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and attend a meeting.
Ahead of the visit, National Parliament Whip and Khulna-3 MP Rakibul Islam Bakul and Khulna-1 MP Amir Ejaz Khan visited Nalian to inspect preparations.
Dacope Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Borhan Uddin Mitu told BSS that security arrangements and transport coordination were progressing rapidly at the local level. However, no separate political or administrative programme had been planned locally, he said.
Khulna Superintendent of Police Dr Omar Faruk Sarkar said additional police personnel had been deployed in Nalian and other relevant areas of Dacope to ensure the smooth conduct of the visit.
Khulna Deputy Commissioner Hoore Jannat said the district administration had finalised the necessary coordination measures to ensure a smooth, orderly and secure visit.
Khulna Regional Conservator of Forests Imran Ahmed and Sundarbans East Divisional Forest Officer Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said the Forest Department had strengthened security and monitoring in areas scheduled for the prime minister's visit and aerial observation of the Sundarbans.
