Indian vessel leaves Chattogram Port under transit agreement

An Indian vessel has departed Chattogram Port with eight tonnes of tea leaves in a container brought from the northeastern state of Meghalaya through land routes in Bangladesh under a transit agreement.

This consignment is part of a trial run to implement the 2018 agreement on using the ports and land routes of Bangladesh to transport goods to and from the northeastern part of India, according to a statement from the Assistant High Commission of India in Chattogram.

The current trial run is being conducted on the Dawki–Tamabil–Chattogram route, according to bdnews24.com.

The ship, MV Trans Samudera, is carrying goods also under regular trade. It left Chattogram for Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata on Wednesday, said Habibur Rahman, manager of Mango Line, the ship's local agent.

There are eight approved routes for the transit of goods under the agreement.

A standard operating procedure was signed for the transit during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in 2019.

The first trial run was held on Jul 21, 2020, on the Chattogram-Akhaura-Agartala route.