News
India begins trial run for trans-shipment of goods to its NorthEast via Bangladesh port
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, August 9: India on Tuesday began trial runs for the trans-shipment of goods to its own states in the NorthEast using two key ports in Bangladesh, with a vessel arriving at Mongla port with two containers of transit cargo.
The land route between Kolkata and key cities in the northeastern states is more than 1,200km. The use of Chattogram (Chittagong) and Mongla ports in neighbouring Bangladesh for trans-shipment will cut the distance and cost to almost half. The trans-shipment arrangement will facilitate the movement of heavier cargo at a lower cost.
The trial runs were initially scheduled for July, but were pushed to August in order to enable Bangladeshi authorities to complete certain arrangements, including customs procedures.The development comes ahead of a planned visit to India by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the first week of September.
Announcing the start of trial runs for operationalising a bilateral agreement signed in October 2018 for the transit of goods from India via Chattogram and Mongla ports in Bangladesh, the Indian high commission in Dhaka said the vessel carrying two Indian transit containers had arrived at Mongla port on Monday.The vessel MV Rishad Raihan with cargo bound for the northeastern states was subsequently flagged off by Mongla Port Authority Chairman Mohammed Musa, and India’s assistant high commissioner in Khulna, Inderjit Sagar.
The trial runs are being undertaken by Maersk India Ltd, and will be done on two routes – Mongla-Tamabil-Dawki and Mongla-Bibir Bazar-Srimantapur. After being transported by riverine routes in Bangladesh, the goods will enter India through border checkpoints at Dawki in Meghalaya and Srimantapur in West Bengal. These two routes are among eight approved routes for transit of goods under the 2018 agreement.
India had earlier carried out a trial trans-shipment of goods from Kolkata to Tripura via Chattogram port in southeastern Bangladesh in July 2020. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic delayed plans for further trial runs.
The Indian high commission in Dhaka said the transit and trans-shipment of goods under the 2018 agreement will reduce both time and cost for transporting cargo to the northeastern states. It will also create economic gains for the logistics and services industry of Bangladesh as only Bangladeshi trucks will be used for moving freight.
The trial runs will help iron out any rough spots and align the immigration and customs set-ups in both countries, people familiar with the matter said. The two sides are looking at several land routes leading to the northeastern states of Meghalaya and Tripura for movement of goods, they said.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had reiterated her country’s offer to use Chattogram port for trans-shipment of goods to India’s northeastern states and to increase connectivity at a meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Dhaka on April 28.
The handover of 35 tonnes of Russian Humanitarian Aid to Sri Lanka, recently affected by the cyclone «Ditwah», took place at Katunayake today (10th December)
The shipment was welcomed at the Katunayake airport by Ambassador of Russia Levan Dzhagaryan, Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka and Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd).
Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan: said “This delivery is a reflection of long-term friendly relations between Russia and Sri Lanka and reaffirms Moscow’s commitment to support countries in a difficult humanitarian situation.”
The supplies brought by the EMERCOM (Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations) aircraft comprised a movable 60 kW electric power station, Pumping equipment for water drainage, Summer tents (10-person capacity) and Food supplies (sugar, vegetable oil, rice)
The total cargo weight is 35 metric tonnes. The aid will be distributed among the most affected regions.
A meeting between the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and the French Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Rémi Lambert, was held on Tuesday (09) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the discussion, the French Ambassador assured the Secretary to the President that the French Development Agency would extend its support to the Government’s programme for providing relief to those affected by Cyclone Ditwah and for rebuilding Sri Lanka. He further stated that steps are being taken to dispatch a team of experts to the country in the near future.
The Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy, was also present on this occasion.
India has strengthened its humanitarian support to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, providing critical air assets, emergency supplies, engineering equipment and medical aid to bolster national rescue and recovery operations.
India dispatched an additional MI-17 helicopter to assist the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) in ongoing air rescue missions on Tuesday (09). Two MI-17 V5 helicopters of the Indian Air Force had been operating in Sri Lanka from 29 November, conducting around 90 sorties, rescuing approximately 270 survivors, airlifting about 50 tonnes of relief material to inaccessible areas and relief camps and deploying 57 Sri Lankan troops to cut-off locations.
Having completed their flying hours, the two helicopters returned to India on Sunday (08) for mandatory maintenance and a fresh MI-17 aircraft arrived at Katunayake Airport to continue operations alongside the SLAF.
The aviation support comes alongside major maritime assistance. The Indian naval vessel INS Gharial arrived at the Port of Trincomalee on Sunday (08) carrying a 700-tonne humanitarian shipment, marking India’s fifth naval relief consignment to Sri Lanka, apart from 10 aircrafts and 5 helicopters, which have contributed towards rescues and relief operations, since the cyclone.
The shipment included essential food supplies such as pulses, sugar and milk powder, as well as bed sheets, towels, sarees, dhotis and tarpaulins for families displaced by flooding and landslides. The emergency aid is being directed to the hardest-hit districts through local relief agencies.
In a further show of engineering support, India has also handed over a 63-ton Bailey bridge and a consignment of essential medicines to Sri Lankan authorities to restore connectivity and meet urgent medical needs in affected communities.
The cargo was received by General Chaminda Wijerathne of the Sri Lanka Army Headquarters, Sunil Jayaweera, former Director Preparedness of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), now volunteering in the response and Shan Pathirana, Deputy Director of the DMC Awareness Division.
The handover was facilitated by the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
These coordinated air, sea and engineering initiatives underscore India’s continued commitment to supporting Sri Lanka during its national emergency response and long-term recovery. The assistance forms part of India’s broader partnership to restore essential services, reconnect isolated communities and provide relief to thousands affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
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