An Indian vessel carrying 25 tonnes of steel bar will leave Kolkata port today and is expected to reach Chattogram port on 30 August, reports The Business Standard citing a foreign ministry document.
The ship will complete the trial run to fully operationalise India's transshipment of cargoes to northeastern states using Chattogram and Mongla seaports.
Quoting the diplomatic note by the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh, the foreign ministry on 22 August informed the shipping ministry about the voyage.
Officials said the steel bar-laden containers will be transported to India's Sheola from Chattogram port by road.
Of the four trial runs for the transshipment through Mongla and Chattogram, two were completed successfully in August this year.
Once the current trial is completed, there will be the final trial from India's Tamabil to Kolkata via Chattogram port for a regular basis transshipment between the two neighbouring countries.
"The return trial movement of cargo on Tamabil-Chattogram route is planned in the coming days," the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh wrote to the foreign ministry.
According to the Indian High Commission, the return cargo will be loaded into containers at Dawki land customs station. The cargo boxes will arrive at Chattogram port via Tamabil land customs station for further shipment to its final destination in Kolkata.
Dhaka and Delhi signed a memorandum of understanding on the use of the Chattogram and Mongla ports in 2015, following years of persuasion from India.
The two sides signed an agreement in 2018 and a standard operating procedure (SoP).
According to the SoP, goods reaching Chattogram and Mongla sea ports would be carried by four road, rail, and water routes to Agartala (Tripura) via Akhaura; Dawki (Meghalaya) via Tamabil; Sutarkandi (Assam) via Sheola; and Srimantpur (Tripura) via Bibirbazar.
The first trial run took place in July 2020 through the Chattogram port. The agreement is expected to further strengthen Bangladesh's friendship and economic ties with India.
