Govt plans to fully open up N'ganj port to Indian ships

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Doulot Akter Mala
The government is planning to fully open up Narayanganj river port to vessels carrying containerised Indian cargoes from across the border to facilitate trade with New Delhi.
The move is among a set of measures shipping officials of the two countries discussed during a standing committee meeting under Bangladesh-India Water Transit and Trade Protocol.
During the meeting held in the Indian capital recently, Bangladeshi officials led by a shipping ministry joint secretary said Dhaka would consider lifting all restrictions on unloading of Indian cargoes at the under-constructed Khanpur inland container depot.
"We have put the proposal on the table. We hope the issue might be finalised in the upcoming New Delhi visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," said a senior government official.
Presently, there are curbs on the anchoring of vessels carrying Indian items such as sugar, milk powder at the Narayanganj port due to lack of adequate infrastructure facilities.
But officials said once the Khanpur ICD is built a few yards off Narayanganj port along with a jetty on the river Shitalakhya by early next year, big vessels could easily disembark containerised cargoes at the key river landing station.
There are also restrictions on delivery of Indian items, imported through the port, to all parts of country, owing to absence of customs facilities.
The official said the government was now thinking of lifting all these curbs as allowing import of containerised items through the Khanpur jetty would reduce the prices of imported commodities.
He said Bangladesh might also allow delivery of Indian items across the country from Narayanganj --- the country's most strategically located river port ---by lifting the existing ban.
"Already we have a plan to develop the Narayanganj port into a full-fledged container yard to ease Indo-Bangla trade," he said.
In the standing committee meeting, Bangladesh delegation has requested India to give an idea as to how much India containerised cargoes are expected to be handled at the Khanpur Jetty, the official said.
He said: "Inland water transport operators of India and Bangladesh are scheduled to attend a workshop in Kolkata shortly to discuss the issue."
In the meeting, Bangladeshi officials have assured their Indian counterparts of improving customs clearance at Mongla port so that Meghnaghat and Noapara ports could be utilised for inspection, loading and unloading, he added.
For resolving navigation problem, India has agreed to provide assistance to Bangladesh in dredging clogged-up rivers. India has sought an early proposal from Bangladesh in this regard, the official said.
"Transportation of high-speed diesel through Shilghat and Baghabari and designation of Ashuganj as a new port of call also were discussed in the meeting," he said.
Bangladesh delegation also requested Indian side to raise the charges for maintenance of protocol routes to Tk 70 million per annum against the proposed charge of Tk 42 million, he added