WEB DESK
The first trial containership from Kolkata containing cargo for transhipment to North Eastern states of India docked at the Chattogram port early morning on Tuesday. Confirming this to the Prasar Bharti Special Correspondent in Dhaka, the Secretary of the Chattogram Port Authority Md. Omar Faruk said that the ship MV Shejyoti docked at the outer anchorage early on Tuesday morning.
The ship was flagged off through video conferencing earlier by the Shipping Minister Mansukh Madaviya on Thursday.
The ship is carrying four containers consisting of iron bars and pulses to be transhipped to North Eastern states of India through the land border of Bangladesh. It is also carrying more than 200 containers imported by the Bangladeshi traders.
The trial run follows the understanding reached between the two countries during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October 2019 when the Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) for the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for transit of goods was finalised.
The operationalisation of these ports of transit for Indian goods will significantly reduce the time taken in carrying goods through Bangladesh while it will also enhance business and revenue for Bangladesh as its trucks and vessels will be used to move the Indian cargo.
In recent years both the countries have enhanced cooperation in shipping and inland water trade. Under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade, in addition to the six existing Ports of Call, five more in each country have been added recently.