Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan yesterday said the government undertook an initiative to procure 51 equipment, including ship-to-shore gantry cranes, for smooth handling of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) of the Chittagong Port, reports BSS.

“We have already installed modern equipment at the Chittagong port aimed at providing smooth and quick services to importers and exporters of the country,” he told a meeting on development, financial and administrative affairs of the Chittagong port at his ministry conference room in the capital.

Presiding over the meeting, Shajahan Khan said the government has already brought 18 equipment. Out of 51 equipment 10 would be gantry cranes, 20 rubber tire gantry cranes, 10 straddle carriers, one rail mounted yard crane, one mobile harbour crane, five container movers and four rich starkers.

Among others, Additional Secretary M Shahadat Hossain and member of the Chittagong Port Authority Commodore Zulfikar Aziz were also present.

According to the meeting, the authority has opened letter of credits (LCs) for procuring six gantry cranes and international tender has been invited to collect four gantry cranes.