Tomorrow marks a groundbreaking moment as the first trial movement of vessels between Maia port in West Bengal and Sultanganj port in Rajshahi is set to unfold.
India’s Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, will ceremoniously flag off the inaugural cargo vessels carrying stones from Maia inland customs port tomorrow morning, as revealed by our New Delhi correspondent.
Upon full operationalization, this strategic route is poised to annually transport approximately 2.6 million tonnes of cargo, effectively alleviating the burden on road transportation, as highlighted in today’s statement from the Indian authorities.
This development is bolstered by the inauguration announcement of the Sultanganj river port in Rajshahi’s Godagari upazila, made by BIWTA officials on Saturday. The inauguration, aimed at strengthening trade and economic ties between Bangladesh and India, is expected to be officiated by Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, the State Minister for Shipping, in the presence of Pranay Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka, as stated by Joynal Abedin, Director for Marine Safety and Traffic Management at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.
The newly established waterway route from Maia to Dhubri in Assam via Aricha in Bangladesh is anticipated to slash the distance by around 930km compared to the existing Dhulian-Maia-Kolkata-Dhubri route.
Spanning 16km, the riverine distance between Maia port and Sultanganj port comprises 4.5km of waterways in India and the remaining 11.5km in Bangladesh.
“This development aligns seamlessly with the Act East Policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government,” emphasizes the statement, underscoring its potential to enhance trade and connectivity between Bangladesh and India.
This transformative initiative traces its roots back to the state visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India from September 5-8, 2022, at the invitation of Modi. During this visit, both nations swiftly agreed to explore direct shipping links, further solidifying their commitment by implementing riverine services under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) routes 5 and 6 (Dhulian in West Bengal to Rajshahi-extension to Aricha) and 9 and 10 (Daudkandi to Sonamura).
