Maiden consignment of products thru inland waterway left for India
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Nearly one year after the inauguration, the first ever export consignment of food product has left for India using inland waterways on Tuesday, marking the golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh.
A vessel with 40,000 cartons of PRAN’s food products left for Kolkata from PRAN Industrial Park, Palash, Narsigndi.
About 96 per cent of the shipments, under protocols of inland waterways between the two countries, are raw item for cement industry in Bangladesh and a one way trading.
However, the first export consignment of Bangladeshi products is expected to address the trade imbalance with India.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, State Minister for Shipping, inaugurated the new opportunity of the export via inland waterways as a chief guest at the park premises.
The new opportunity of the export initiative has been taken by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) while PRAN Group has taken the opportunity to become the first exporter of food items through the waterways.
The new initiative will reduce transport cost by 35 per cent, speakers said at the event.
The opportunity of export using waterways will ease pressure on the road and will increase the volume of export of Bangladeshi products to India at low cost without hassle.
“The inauguration of export through waterways is a matter of pride for Bangladesh. Our ministry is working to increase river route and to restore the navigability of the river. We hope, many companies will be formed in our country like PRAN-RFL group and the country’s economy will move forward,” the state minister said.
Commodore Golam Sadeq, Chairman at BIWTA, said that the export through waterways with India under Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWT&T) mainly depend on fly ash transport.
“A total of 96 per cent of transported products is fly ash that is used as raw materials for cement. The trade is mainly one way which creates trading imbalance via river route between Bangladesh and India,” he added.
If we are able to export various products using waterways, it will play an important role to increase the business and enhance mutual relation between two countries, he observed.
Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Chairman and CEO at PRAN-RFL Group said, “There is a huge market of PRAN Products in India. Now PRAN is exporting its products in the all province of India. The market of PRAN products in India has been increasing by 10 per cent on an average. The trade relations between the two neighbours will increase further through this initiative.”
Local administrations and officials of PRAN-RFL group were also present at the ceremony.