Following a recent call by India to Bangladesh to use its Kolkata and Haldia ports for transhipment purposes — which would make coastal shipping more cost effective and time saving besides creating an opportunity for Bangladeshi garment exporters to reach European and American markets faster by avoiding congestion at the Chittagong Port — the Bangladesh Government has reportedly decided to carry out a feasibility study to weigh pros and cons of using these ports for Bangladesh businesses, claimed media reports.
The Government’s decision to employ two state think-tanks to carry out the feasibility study was reportedly taken during a meeting at the Ministry of Shipping, presided by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan.
As per media reports, the Shipping Minister reportedly maintained that the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and the Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) will conduct the study to assess whether Bangladesh would be benefited from the use of Indian ports.
As per experts, majority of Bangladeshi garment factories are concentrated in and around Dhaka and goods are transported by road to Chittagong port from where it is shipped via Colombo or Singapore to Europe and USA.
However, the alleged 10-12 days waiting period at Chittagong makes logistics costly and time consuming. While on the other hand if the exporters can send their products from Pangaon to Haldia to be loaded in Colombo or Singapore-bound ships, the whole process will reportedly be completed in three to four days.
“We’ve decided to examine the pros and cons of using Kolkata and Haldia ports for export-import trade,” reportedly said Shipping Secretary Abdus Samad while speaking to the media.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
