Bangladeshi water vessels continue to carry almost all Indian transit goods through the rivers in Bangladesh, statistics available with Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) show.
Bangladeshi vessels are also dominating Indo-Bangla inter-country cargo trade mainly due to its better competitiveness, according to the statistics.
In the last fiscal year 2014-15, some 32,606 tonnes of transit goods were carried by Bangladeshi vessels while Indian vessels carried only 3,322 tonnes.
Bangladeshi vessels made 72 trips while Indian vessels only nine trips.
The statistics showed that Bangladeshi vessels didn't carry any transit cargo in FY'14 when Indian vessels carried 2,373 tonnes of goods. Also in FY'12, Indian vessels carried 2,695 tonnes of cargoes.
In the last eight and half years, Bangladeshi vessels carried 55,496 tonnes of transit cargoes while Indian vessels carried 36,809 tonnes.
During the same period, some 11.41 million tonnes of cargoes under bilateral trade had moved between the two countries through river routes. Of them, 98.7 per cent were carried by Bangladeshi vessels.
"Our vessels are dominating transit routes for carrying Indian goods to the north eastern region of India mainly due to cost competitiveness," said Sheikh Mahfuz Hamid, Managing Director of Gulf Orient Sea Ways Ltd.
He said if Indian traders didn't use Bangladeshi water routes for shipment of their goods from Kolkata (West Bengal) to Agartala (Tripura), it would take them at least 30 days. The carrying cost of goods stood at Rs 4,500 per tonne.
"But Kolkata-Narayanganj waterways for shipment of goods to the northeast of India take only 10 days and its cost is one-third -Rs 1,500 per tonne only," he told the FE.
Mr Hamid was of the view that Bangladesh could earn almost double if water transit facilities could be utilised fully.
"Our aim is to earn US$ 75 million annually through trans-shipment of Indian goods by using Bangladesh waterways," he added. Currently, Bangladeshi vessels earn $ 23 million annually by carrying Indian goods.
The Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) between the two countries allow transit of inland vessels of one country through specified routes of another country.
At present, there are four protocol routes - Kolkata-Pandu (Guwahati)-Kolkata, Kolkata-Karimganj-Kolkata, Rajshahi-Dhulian-Rajshahi and Pandu-Karimganj-Pandu. There are five designated ports of call in each country.
Country's river vessels' owners suggested a massive campaign so that Indian traders could use Bangladesh waterways for carrying goods to their north eastern region.
On an average, the charge for carrying per tonne of goods from India (Kolkata) to Narayanganj by Bangladeshi cargo vessels is US$ 13.
A total of 300 Bangladeshi vessels are now carrying Indian goods to its north eastern region through Bangladesh waterways.
"Bangladeshi water vessels have full potential to carry more Indian goods," said Mr Hamid who is also an adviser of the Ministry of Shipping (MoS) on protocol.
The protocol revised in May last year was signed during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Bangladesh in the first week of June.
It has two components - one for bilateral trade and another for transit trade. Under transit trade arrangements, transport of goods between West Bengal and Assam and other parts of northeast India through Bangladeshi river system is allowed.
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