Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Ashuganj, Mar 27 (bdnews24.com) – Cooperation between Dhaka and Delhi has entered into a new era as India for the first time has availed of transhipment facility to send its goods from Kolkata to Tripura through Bangladesh.
The first four consignments of over dimensional cargoes (ODC) for 726 megawatt Palatana power plant passed through Akhaura border for Tripura on Monday midnight (zero hour), Sheikh Mahfuz Hamid, managing director of Gulf Orient, told the bdnews24.com.
Gulf Orient is responsible for shipment of 96 consignments for the power plant in Bangladesh.
Transhipment facility means using dual modes of transport like river and road, and the facility was given to India under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (IWTT) signed in 1972.
But India never availed of that.
The consignments come from Kolkata to Ashuganj port through river route and from the port it will be carried by trailers to Akhaura, the managing director said.
Four trailers, three of 120 wheels and one of 128, will carry the four consignments weighing about 80 tonnes from Ashuganj river port to Akhaura border, Mahfuz said.
"A total of 96 consignments will be shipped from Ashuganj to Akhaura border during the next three months," he said adding, "So far 16 consignments have already reached Ashuganj."
The weights of the consignments range from 20 tonnes to 285 tonnes, he added.
Under the supervision of the Roads and Highway Department, Gulf Orient made 16 diversions, three parking bays and constructed 15 kilometres of new roads, he said.
"The trailers will move from midnight to six in the morning and the trailers will run at a speed of 5 km per hour," he said.
Brahmanbaria administration and customs will oversee the entire operation, he added.
The ODC transhipment process started during the visit of prime minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January last year.
In the joint communiqué declared by the two prime ministers stipulated that there would ODC transhipment for Palatana power plant.
Bangladesh in May last year brought an addendum in the IWTT protocol and declared Ashuganj as the second transhipment point along with the fifth port of call.
For the ODC transhipment, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the governments in November last year.
The first transhipment point was Sherpur in Sylhet declared in 1972 but India never availed of that.
Since the 80s, India wanted Bangladesh to declare Ashuganj as second transhipment point as it is closer to India.
Distance between Sherpur and the closest Indian border is over 150 kilometres whereas for Ashuganj to Akhaura border, the distance is less than 50 kilometres with improved road network.
India still uses transit or single mode transport facility through river route to carry its goods to and from Kolkata and seven sisters' states.
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