Bangladesh and Maldives: Sand Export Deal in Sight
Maldives threatened by sea level rise. Beaches are simply disappearing; here the roots of palm trees exposed. Uprooted coconut palms litter the foreshore. Photo Source: reuters
By Daily Star Staff, Dredging Today
The government is seriously assessing the potentials of exporting sand to the Maldives as an inter-minister meeting yesterday decided to invite sand importers of Maldives to Bangladesh.
An inter-ministerial meeting held at the land ministry decided to send the invitation through the foreign ministry. The government will step further on this regard after getting specifications of sand quality from them.
At this moment, a bilateral agreement will be required to export sand or earth to a certain country, the meeting discussed. There is no prohibition of exporting sand according to the current Export Policy Order of the commerce ministry.
The government is considering sand as a new potential for export, says a release of the ministry of land yesterday.
Earlier this year, Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed expressed keenness to import sand and earth from Bangladesh as his country would be inundated if the sea level rises by only a metre.
A huge amount of sediment is naturally deposited in Bangladesh from the Himalayas by the river network spread over the country. The quantity of sediment is around one billion cubic metres, which is one of the main reasons the country’s rivers are losing their navigability.
Bangladesh is pushing a huge river project worth over Tk one thousand crore to dredge all major rivers which will bring up huge quantities of sand in the near future.
State Minister for Land Mustafizur Rahman, it’s Secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman and representatives from energy, power and mineral resources ministry, law ministry, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry and environment and forest ministry were present at the meeting. Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira presided over the meeting.
Dredging sand, Bangladesh. Photo Source: Dredging Today
