Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh Dr. Tanvir Mansur on Thursday flagged off commercial cargo service between the two countries through Dhubri river port in Assam on the National Waterway 2 on river Brahamputra.
This is an effort to push transportation of goods through waterway which has marked a new milestone to promote economically more viable and environment-friendly modes of transport between the two countries, said Dr Mansur.
Also read: Bhutan’s stone-laden cargo vessel leaves Assam’s Dhubri River Port for Bangladesh
Two Bangladeshi barges – MV Sagar Express and MV Alvahar – will carry 250 tonnes of crushed stones brought from the neighbouring country, Bhutan.
All the crushed stones were brought from Phuentsholing of Bhutan with dumpers to the Dhubri river port by covering a distance of about 150 km.
“The crushed stones have been loaded in the two vessels through modern technology by using convey Belt System in two days at the Dhubri river port,” an official of the river port told Northeast Now.
“The stone-laden vessels will reach Chilmari port of Bangladesh in the next 4-5 days,” said Atawor Rahman, manager of Exports Associate of Bangladesh.
The government of India has developed the National Waterway 2 (NW-2), which is a section of river Brahmaputra having a length of 891 km between the Bangladesh border near Dhubri and Sadiya in Upper Assam.
Earlier, the first cargo vessel service from the Dhubri river port was sent on July 12, 2019, as a pilot project.
A vessel MV AAI (WB – 1668) of Inland Water Transport Authority of India, loaded with crushed stones, was sailed out to Narayanganj of Bangladesh from this river port.
Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh (in a grey coat with tie)