A composite delegation from Bangladesh is currently on a six-day visit to major ports on India’s eastern coast, including Chennai, Krishnapatnam, Vishakhapatnam, Haldia, and Kolkata, to assess the infrastructure and commercial viability of the country’s export-import activities through India.
The 13-member team, led by Ministry of Shipping Joint Secretary SM Mostafa Kamal, includes representatives from Bangladesh’s other key ministries and ports.
The visits by the Bangladeshi delegation aim to gain first-hand knowledge of technical feasibility, commercial viability and infrastructure facilities at Indian ports to assess their potential for the trans-shipment of Bangladeshi cargo.
The visiting party was joined by officials from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, the Director General of Shipping, and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
According to an official release, the group held “fruitful” discussions with the chairmen of the ports in Chennai, Krishnapatnam, Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata Dock under Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, and Haldia Dock Complex. The delegation reviewed the possibilities of launching a river cruise service between Dhaka and Vishakhapatnam.
IWAI Director (Traffic) AK Bansal told the Bangladeshi delegates that a cruise service already exists on the India-Bangladesh Protocol riverine route and it can further be extended on coastal routes from Bangladesh to Vishakhapatnam and other ports on the east coast of India as the memorandum of understanding (MoU) and Protocol to the MoU for passengers and cruise on Protocol and IBP route already exists.
The possibility of returning cargo from Bangladesh to Haldia/Kolkata by inland vessels on the India-Bangladesh Protocol route was also explored during the delegation’s visit to the multi-modal port in Haldia, West Bengal.
The Bangladeshi delegation observed various impediments in exim commerce through Indian ports.
In response, the Indian side committed to give a complete data analysis and comparisons illustrating the benefits for Bangladeshi exporters and importers of using Indian ports over existing trans-shipment ports such as Colombo, Singapore, and Port Klang.
The team expressed hope for positive results and requested comparison reports on costs, time, cargo, and facilities for exim commerce from India’s east coast ports vs Colombo, Singapore, Port Klang, Chattogram, Mongla, and Payra.
The Indian side sought that Bangladesh provide details on commodity profiles and destination ports to assist with the relocation.
The chairman of the Bangladeshi team assured that a stakeholders’ conference would be organised in Dhaka to go over the data, analysis, and comparisons from India. A report would be given to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Shipping and relayed to India via diplomatic channels, he added.
