Year-round navigable waterways can benefit local entrepreneurs in logistic business through better domestic connectivity, speakers said on Thursday.
Improved inland waterways can also allow traders to transit Indian goods, they told a programme.
They exhorted the authorities to regularly dredge major river and canal routes for uninterrupted inland waterway transit to boost Indo-Bangla trade.
The speakers made the observations at a conclave styled 'Maritime Industry: India-Bangladesh Opportunities Ahead' held at a city hotel.
Indian Chamber of commerce (ICC) and India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) co-hosted it with IBCCI president Abdul Matlub Ahmad in the chair.
Prime minister's economic affairs adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman addressed the event as the chief guest where acting Indian high commissioner in Dhaka Adarsh Swaika and shipping secretary Abdus Samad also spoke.
Other speakers were former diplomat Tariq A Karim and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry senior vice-president Sheikh Fazle Fahim.
Mr Mashiur said Bangladesh can export manufactured products through Indian seaports bypassing Singapore which may reduce transport cost by almost two-thirds.
Bangladesh and India can work together to develop a hydropower project which may allow the subcontinent to produce power at a lowest rate globally, he added.
Mr Mashiur further said that Bangladesh can be greatly benefitted by connecting itself with India's 'National Maritime Development Programme'.
About advantages of waterways, Mr Karim said regional connectivity has not been developed as the authorities only emphasise costly road connectivity, not cheap river routes.
The country has some 24,000-kilometre (km) waterway. Of them, around 6,000 km is navigable during monsoon.
Nearly 4,000 km is usable in the rest of time which can be increased through proper maintenance and dredging, he added.
Meanwhile, the Indian envoy said, "We've revised the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade with Bangladesh for better outcome."
Under the protocol, several big rivers like the Jamuna will be dredged for better navigation of vessels, he added.
"Very soon a passenger cruise ship will start plying between the two countries," Mr Swaika stated.
IBCCI chief Mr Ahmad said opportunities abound for local entrepreneurs in logistic business by carrying Indian cargoes through river routes and ports.
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