The vessel 'MV Trans Samudera' has left Chattogram port with Indian transit containers transported from the north-eastern state of Meghalaya to Bangladesh.
The ship left Chattogram port on Wednesday morning. According to a press release from the Indian High Commission, this cargo movement is part of a trial run under the agreement to use Chattogram and Mongla ports for transit of goods to India through Bangladesh territory.
This is a step forward in implementing the commitment reiterated at the prime ministerial level of the two countries during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in September 2022. This movement of cargo is part of the trial run undertaken in 2019 to implement the agreement signed between India and Bangladesh to use Chattogram and Mongla ports for cargo transportation. These trial runs are being conducted by Tata Steel and CJ Darcl Logistics Limited on Dauki-Tamabil-Chattogram route. There are eight approved routes for transportation of goods under this agreement. The routes are- Chattogram-Mongla Port to Akhaura via Agartala, Chattogram-Mongla Port to Tamabil via Dawki, Chattogram-Mongla Port to Sheola to Sutarkandi, Chattogram-Mongla Port to Bibirbazar to Srimantpur and vice versa. An SOP was signed to implement the agreement during the Bangladesh Prime Minister's visit to India in 2019. The first trial movement on the Chattogram-Akhaura-Agartala route under this agreement was successfully conducted in July 2020 where four containers, two containing TMT steel and two containing grains reached ICP Agartala from Kolkata via Chattogram.
The transhipment of goods under this agreement will reduce both the cost and time of transporting goods to the North Eastern states of India. It will also generate economic benefits for Bangladesh's logistics and service industries (insurance, transport and finance industries etc.). Because only Bangladesh trucks will be used for transhipment.
Trial run marks the completion of all trial runs on all authorized routes under this Agreement Trial runs were conducted on Mongla-Tamabil-Dauki, Mongla-Bibirbazar-Srimantapur and Chattogram-Sheola-Sutarkandi routes. After the completion of this trial run, the Government of Bangladesh will now issue the necessary stable standing orders to effect regular movement of goods under the agreement.
