Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: A cargo vessel set sail from Dibrugarh for Bangladesh on October 5, reviving international river trade for the first time since Independence. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the ship, named Patkai, from the newly built Bogibeel River Port, also known as the IWAI Bogibeel Terminal. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the event via a virtual link.
The vessel carries 27 containers holding 540 tonnes of methanol produced by Assam Petro Chemicals Limited. It must travel a 783 km river route to reach Pangaon Port in Dhaka. The journey should take seven days. Another ship will depart within a couple of days to complete a total shipment of 1,080 tonnes of methanol.
Dibrugarh once thrived as a commercial hub for water transport during the British era. Ships regularly moved goods from a port near Mohanaghat before operations eventually stopped. Local officials hope this move jumpstarts regional logistics. The revival of this route is expected to "enhance trade and connectivity between the Northeast and Bangladesh through the riverine transport network." Numerous state ministers, MPs, and MLAs attended the ceremony to witness the start of this new chapter in regional commerce.
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