India & Bangladesh initiate 1st vessel movement on new waterway route

12 Feb '24

2 min read

Pic: Shantanu Thakur/ X (formerly twitter)

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India and Bangladesh conducted the first vessel trial on IBP Route 5 & 6 today, flagged by Shantanu Thakur.
Aligning with the Act East Policy, this new route aims to boost trade efficiency, potentially shifting 2.6 MTPA of cargo from road to waterway, reducing travel by 930 kilometres.
High-level officials attended, marking a milestone in bilateral connectivity.

In a significant step towards bolstering trade and connectivity between India and Bangladesh, the first trial movement of vessels on Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route no. 5 & 6 was successfully conducted today. The historic event was marked by the flagging off of the vessels by Shantanu Thakur, minister of state for ports, shipping, and waterways, from Maia Inland Customs Port in West Bengal, India.

This initiative aligns with prime minister Narendra Modi's Act East Policy, aiming to strengthen India's ties with its eastern neighbours. The new waterway route, stretching from Maia Port in India to Sultanganj Port in Bangladesh, promises to significantly enhance the efficiency of trade between the two nations. By utilising this route, the distance for cargo transport to Dhubri via Aricha is reduced by approximately 930 kilometres compared to the traditional Dhulian-Maia-Kolkata-IBP-Dhubri route. Consequently, it is anticipated that 2.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of export cargo will transition from road to waterways, marking a substantial shift in the transportation modalities between the two countries, the ministry of ports, shipping, and waterways said in a press release.

The riverine passage connecting the Port of Call Maia in India and the Port of Call Sultanganj in Bangladesh spans 16 kilometres, with 4.5 kilometres of waterways in India and the remaining 11.5 kilometres in Bangladesh. This short but strategic route is expected to open new avenues for economic collaboration and ease the movement of goods across the border.

The launch event saw the participation of transport and state transport ministers from the West Bengal government, the member of parliament from the Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency, members of the state legislature from Raghunathganj and Lalgola legislative constituencies, and other dignitaries, highlighting the importance of this development for both India and Bangladesh.

“Under the visionary leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi and able direction of Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, India has embarked on a transformative journey focusing on a comprehensive multi-pronged plan to harness the power of its inland waterways sector. The trial movement from Maia to Sultanganj through IBP route no. 5 & 6 will add new dimensions to the wwaterways-basedtransportation between India and Bangladesh as it is the shortest waterway route between the two countries,” said Shantanu Thakur.

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