A cargo vessel named Trans Samudera on Tuesday arrived at Chittagong port carrying an Indian transit container to be transported to the northeastern state of Assam via Bangladesh.
The movement of cargo is part of the trial runs being undertaken for the operationalization of the agreement to use Chittagong and Mongla ports for the transit of goods to and from India which was signed between Bangladesh and India in 2018.
The trial run is being undertaken by Tata Steel and CJ Darcl Logistics Ltd on the Chittagong-Sheola-Sutarkandi route, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
There are eight approved routes for transit of goods under the agreement, namely Chittagong/Mongla port to Agartala via Akhaura, Chittagong/Mongla port to Dawkivia Tamabil, Chittagong/Mongla port to Sutarkandi via Sheola, Chittagong/Monglaport to Srimantapur via Bibirbazar and vice versa on all four routes.
During a visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in 2019, a SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) was signed to operationalize the agreement.
The first trial movement under this agreement on the route Chittagong-Akhaura-Agartala was successfully conducted in July 2020 wherein four containers, two each of TMT steel and pulses, were delivered at ICP (Integrated Check Post) Agartala from Kolkata through Chittagong, said the Indian High Commission.
The transit or transshipment of goods under this agreement will reduce both cost and time for transport of goods to northeastern states of India.
It will also create economic gains for the Bangladesh logistics and services industry (insurance, transport and finance industry) as only Bangladeshi trucks will be used for transshipment, assured the high commission.
In the coming few days, a trial run is expected to be done on the Dawki-Tamabil-Chittagong route which will mark completion of trial runs on all approved routes under this agreement, it said.
As per the understanding reached earlier this year between the two governments, a necessary permanent standing order/notification would be issued by the government of Bangladesh after completion of these trials for the operationalization and regular movement of goods under this agreement, said the high commission.
