Ira Singh
Khabar Khabaron Ki,15 July’24
In a bid to strengthen regional trade and streamline logistics,a 13-member delegation from Bangladesh currently visited India to explore the possibilities of transhipment of export- import (Exim) cargo through Indian ports located on the East Coast. This visit, spanning from July 9 to July 12, is in line with the agreed minutes of the India-Bangladesh Shipping Secretaries Level Talks (SSLT) held in Dhaka in December last year, according to official statement.The statement reportedly stated that, the objective of the Bangladeshi delegation’s visit is to gain first-hand knowledge of technical feasibility, commercial viability and infrastructure facilities at Indian ports to assess their potential for the transhipment of Bangladeshi cargo.
Eyeing the use of eastern Indian ports to export its goods, a delegation from Bangladesh visited the facility in Kolkata to explore new trade opportunities that would reduce cost and time, officials reportedly stated on Friday.
Led by S M Mostafa Kamal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping of the neighbouring country, the 13-member delegation comprising representatives from key ministries, private stakeholders and ports of Bangladesh visited the Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port (SMP) here between July 9 and 12.
The delegation also visited other east coast ports such as Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Visakhapatnam and Krishnapatnam ports in Andhra Pradesh, for their evaluation, according to information.The visit aimed at assessing the potential for Bangladesh’s export cargo to be transshipped through SMP, Kolkata, to third countries, leveraging India’s strategic location and infrastructure.
Analysts noted that Bangladesh’s Chittagong port remains extremely congested, and Dhaka wants to explore opportunities using Indian ports using the existing four Indo-Bangladesh protocol routes via waterways to decongest its ports.
The delegation met top officials from SMP, Kolkata, and other stakeholders, discussing the advantages of using Indian ports for transshipment, including the ease of availability of empty containers, lesser transit time compared to other major ports in Eastern India, dedicated vessels for Bangladesh-India routes, and optimization of operational costs, according to information.
A cost comparative analysis revealed that shipping export cargo from Chittagong to SMP would be more economical for further shipping to other third countries instead of transshipping through ports like Colombo. Two-way vessel movement will reduce overall transportation costs, enabling a win-win trade proposition for both nations,” SMP Deputy Chairman (Kolkata) Samrat Rahi reportedly stated .
SMP highlighted future development plans, including direct voyages between SMP, Kolkata, and China, vessel movement between SMP, Kolkata, Chittagong, and Yangon port, introduction of a Night-Navigation System, and extended allied service facilities at SMP, Kolkata.
Officials from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the Ministry of Ports and Shipping & Waterways, Director General of Shipping and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs accompanied the visiting delegation, according to information.
The delegation’s visit was a follow-up to the India- Bangladesh Shipping Secretaries Level Talks (SSLT) held in Dhaka in December 2023. The visit concluded with optimism from both sides, and the Bangladeshi delegation assured that a report would be submitted to the Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh, and communicated to India through diplomatic channels.
This development is expected to strengthen Indo-Bangladesh bilateral trade relations, boost export-import trade, and pave the way for a new era in maritime connectivity between the two nations.