India to fund 80pc cost of 470km river route dredging

New Delhi will provide majority of the fund for dredging of around 470 kilometres of two river routes in Bangladesh to boost trade between the two countries, under the bilateral protocol on inland water transit and trade.

The cabinet yesterday gave pre-dated approval to an addendum to the bilateral Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) between India and Bangladesh.

After the meeting, cabinet secretary Shafiul Alam said under the addendum, river routes from Ashuganj to Zakiganj, and Sirajganj to Doikhawa (of Assam in India), will be dredged where India will finance 80 percent, and rest 20 percent will be financed by Bangladesh.

On October 26, India and Bangladesh signed three agreements including this addendum, also for inclusion of Dhubri (Assam) and Pangaon (Bangladesh) as new ports of call.

The deals were inked in shipping secretary-level meetings of the two countries in New Delhi between October 24 and 26.

Shipping ministry officials said the agreements will help improve goods transportation by river routes from Kolkata to India's northwestern states, and on the other hand will make trade between Bangladesh and India easier.

The addendum has also included that Bangladeshi trucks and trailers can travel up to Agartala Inland Container Dept (ICD) in India.

Two other agreements were signed at the meeting, on the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for movement of goods to and from India, and a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for passenger and cruise services for the two countries. Through the latter, a passenger cruise service between Chennai city of India and Cox's Bazar, a distance of about 1,600 nautical miles, will be introduced.