Bangladesh: Cargo vessel on trial run from from Kolkata arrives at Chattogram Port

Moving towards the completion of the trial run of cargo movement for the operationalization of the Agreement to use Chattogram and Mongla Ports (ACMP), a vessel arrived at Chattogram port on Tuesday. The vessel M/V Trans Samudera is carrying steel bars in the Indian transit container to be transported to the northeastern state of Assam via the territory of Bangladesh. The trial run is being undertaken by Tata Steel and CJ Darcl Logistics Ltd. on Chattogram-Sheola-Sutarkandi route. The ship was flagged off from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata on 3 September.

This movement of cargo is part of the trial runs being undertaken for the operationalization of the Agreement to use Chattogram and Mongla Ports (ACMP) for the transit of goods to and from India which was signed between Indian and Bangladesh in 2018. During the visit of Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India in 2019, a SOP was signed to operationalize the Agreement.

The first trial movement under this agreement on the route Chattogram-Akhaura-Agartala was successfully conducted in July 2020 wherein four containers, two each of TMT steel and pulses, were delivered at Integrated Check Post (ICP) Agartala from Kolkata through Chattogram.

Under the agreement, transit or transhipment of goods is permitted on 8 routes. Goods arriving from India at Chattogram or Mongla port can be sent to Agartala via Akhaura, Dawki via Tamabil, Sutarkandi via Sheola and Srimantapur via Bibir Bazar and vice versa.

In the coming few days, a trial run is expected to be done on the Dawki-Tamabil-Chattogram route which will mark completion of trial runs on all approved routes under this Agreement.

As per the understanding reached earlier this year between the two Governments, a 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.

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 as only Bangladesh trucks will be used for transshipment.