Ship with Indian goods for its northeast docks at Mongla Port

The ship has carried goods for India’s northeast

A ship carrying goods from India for its northeastern region has docked at Mongla Port in Bangladesh in a trial run under a transit deal.

The lighterage ship, MV Rishad Raihan, arrived in the port on Monday morning with two containers of iron pipes and prefoam.

The container with 16.38 tonnes of iron pipes will be transported to the Indian state of Meghalaya through the Mongla-Tamabil (Sylhet) route while the other with 8.5 tonnes of prefoam will be taken to Assam through the Mongla-Bibirbazar (Cumilla) route, said the port’s Harbour Master Commander Fakar Uddin.

A terminal tractor carrying the goods started for India around 12pm after the end of the formalities.

The ship departed for Bangladesh from Kolkata’s Haldia Port on Aug 1. Inder Jit Sagar, assistant high commissioner of India in Khulna, Mongla Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, and Mongla Customs House Commissioner Mohammad Neazur Rahman were present when it arrived.

After the signing of the deal in 2018, the first trial run of shipment took place in 2020 through Chattogram Port. The coronavirus pandemic and other complexities then halted the process to implement the deal. The latest attempt is the first of four trial runs.

Mongla Port’s Chairman Musa described the development as “historic”. “This will further strengthen our economic relations with India.”

Assistant High Commissioner Inder said the transit deal aims to bring more dynamism to trade by using inland water routes.