The Bangladesh Inland Water
Transport Authority (BIWTA) has said the Sultanpur river port in Rajshahi’s
Godagari upazila will start operation on 12 February with a shipment of cotton
to Maya port in India’s Murshidabad. The
water transport authority hopes to reduce the cost of importing goods from
India using this trade route.
“Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner
Shameem Ahmed said, “A small ship carrying two tons of cotton will depart from
Sultanpur port to Maya port on the day of the inauguration, with the return
cargo from India to be confirmed in the next couple of days.”
A control place has already
been established at the port ahead of the inauguration, in addition to an
approach for the direct loading and unloading of goods onto ships, said BIWTA’s
Assistant Engineer Shah Alam. He also said the shipping minister may announce
potential infrastructure improvements on launch day.
Although the navigability
crisis in the Padma river has prevented its activation, the Sultanpur-Maya
route can facilitate bilateral trade between both countries throughout the
year, primarily enabling the import of stone and saving both costs and time.
BIWTA said the domestic stone
sources cannot meet even 5% of the demand required for the country’s
infrastructural development.Therefore, a significant amount of stone needs to
be imported from abroad, especially from the UAE, Vietnam, Oman, Thailand,
Malaysia, and India.
With this waterway, it will be
possible to import stone and transport it in domestic currency at a cost of
only $9-$10 per metric ton. This will save foreign currency and create
employment opportunities for many in Bangladesh.
According to BIWTA, 3.5 crore
metric tons of stone amounting to $691.08 million were imported through
Chattogram and other seaports within just two and a half months from 1 March to
10 May last year.
BIWTA expects import of stone
through the Sultanpur-May waterway route could save half of the mentioned US
dollars, resulting in reduced construction costs of various government projects
and decrease the pressure on the foreign currency reserves.
“India and Bangladesh, especially India, are
interested in trading through this waterway. They want to trade through this
route to easily deliver goods to the seven provinces of Northeast India through
Bangladesh,” he added.
“The ports of Dhulian and Maya
in India’s Murshidabad have been fully prepared. A pontoon [flat-bottomed boat]
has been brought to Sultanpur. It will be officially inaugurated on 12
February. A trial will be conducted with five vessels.
“Gradually, the
navigability of the river will be increased through dredging. A new port is
being established to the west of Rajshahi,” the mayor said. He added, “During
the monsoon season, it will be possible to transport 2,000-2,500 tons of cargo.
In the dry season, it will be around 700 to 800 tons. India and Bangladesh are
very interested and sincere about this. As a result, the people of the
Rajshahi-Nawabganj region will advance towards economic prosperity.
“Importing hundreds of
thousands of tons of stone from India by road and train costs more. If it is
possible to import stone via waterways, the cost will significantly decrease.
Additionally, this waterway will play a major role in the economy of
Bangladesh,” Khairuzzaman Liton said.