, May 11 -- Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) on Monday urged the government to prioritise the development of inland waterway infrastructure to reduce the cost of doing business, calling for planned dredging, riverbank recovery and private sector involvement under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed made the call during a meeting with Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee at the Secretariat.

Taskeen Ahmed said as a riverine nation, Bangladesh's inland waterways have historically been the most cost-effective means of transporting industrial raw materials and finished goods, yet their full potential remains underutilised due to siltation and illegal river encroachment.

"We...