India and Bangladesh are set to launch a new river trade route on Saturday, when a Bangladeshi ship will transport a cargo of cement to Tripura, as part of efforts to boost connectivity between the two countries.
A test of an inland waterway protocol route between the two nations began Thursday with a cargo ship leaving for the port of Sonamura in Tripura from Munshiganj in the neighboring country.
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb in a tweet late Thursday said: “The first consignment vessel began its test today from Munshiganj, Bangladesh, for the port of Sonamura, Tripura.”
The first consignment vessel today began its test run from Munshiganj, Bangladesh, to the port of Sonamura, Tripura.
With the successful run, the Indo-Bangladesh waterways will open new avenues for economic development in both countries in which Tripura will play an important role. pic.twitter.com/Y2vV90XA45
– Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) September 3, 2020
Here’s all about the India-Bangladesh Inland Shipping Route:
• The route connects Tripura with the national channels of India through Bangladesh. With the successful run, the India-Bangladesh waterways will open new avenues for economic development in both countries in which Tripura will play an important role.
• The ship-sized ship carrying a shipment of cement set sail for Sonamura port in Sepahijala district of northeastern Munshiganj state on Thursday.
• Union Maritime Transport Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will welcome the ship carrying 50 tonnes of cement from Daukandi in Bangladesh to Sonamura on Saturday via video conference from Delhi, authorities said.
• The inland waterways protocol route would be put into operation in the presence of Prime Minister and Chairman of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) Aditya Mishra, said Secretary of Tripura Department of Industry and Commerce, Kiran Gitte.
• The 90-kilometer-long Sonamura-Daudkandi route, included in the Indo-Bangla protocol (IBP) route list in May this year, is expected to boost trade, Gitte told reporters on Sunday.
• A floating jetty was installed on the Gomati River on July 4 as part of the Indo-Bangla International Inland Waterway Connectivity Project.
• A high-level team of officials from Bangladesh’s maritime transport ministry had reviewed the river protocol route on August 12, said Sonamura Sub-Divisional Magistrate Subrata Majumder.
(With PTI inputs)
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