Trade With India: Sultanganj river port opens Monday

Sultanganj river port is set to open on Monday in Rajshahi's Godagari upazila with an aim to strengthen trade and economic ties between Bangladesh and India, BIWTA officials announced yesterday.

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, the state minister for shipping, is likely to inaugurate the much-needed river port in the presence of Pranay Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka, said Joynal Abedin, director for marine safety and traffic management at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.

"Initially, the river port will connect to the Maya Port of Murshidabad, India, via the Padma River. Starting Monday, several trial runs will be held on the route," he said.

The river port is launching under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) as part of the trade agreement between Bangladesh and India, said the BIWTA official.

The protocol was signed in 1972 and renewed on March 31, 2020, to ensure that both countries benefit from their waterways for trade and commerce, he added.

The distance of this route is only 18 kilometres. During the dry season, 200-300 tonnes of goods can be transported in each cargo. During monsoon, transportation of goods will be a bit difficult due to the strong current in the river, said a UNB report.

Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said, "We have been working to set up the river port for a long time. It finally happened because of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's sincere efforts.

"When the river port becomes fully operational, it is going to create job opportunities and lower the prices of different commodities due to the low transportation costs."

On the same note, Exporters' and Importers' Association of Chapainawabganj President Kazi Md Shahabuddin said a 500-tonne capacity barge in the river is equivalent to 25 trucks on the road, and barges use less fuel oil, he said, adding that, "Prices of goods will naturally fall."

Business leaders said the river port will primarily be used to import stones, fly ash, coal, fruits, and spices from India, as well as to export jute and garments.

Meanwhile, Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Masudur Rahman Rinku said the river has lost its navigability and must be excavated before the full benefits of the river port can be realised.

He also suggested that the riverport's connectivity be later extended to Rajshahi city, Pabna's Rooppur, and the Mongla port.

At that, Mayor Liton said the government has plans to extend the river route to Mongla port and conduct joint capital dredging for the river's navigability by India and Bangladesh.