Methanol from Assam to Bangladesh via Brahmaputra after seven decades

International commercial river voyage has started again via the Brahmaputra river after seven decades. A cargo barge has started its journey towards Pangaon port of Bangladesh carrying 540 metric tonnes of methanol from Dibrugarh of Assam. Those concerned have informed that this is the first incident of commercial river voyage directly from Assam towards any port of Bangladesh after the independence of India.

The barge named ‘DLB Patkai’ started its journey from Bogibeel terminal on Monday.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India Sarbananda Sonowal formally inaugurated the journey. Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma was connected to the programme through video conference. At that time several ministers of the centre and the state, local members of parliament and legislators and administrative officials of India and Bangladesh were present.

Sarbananda Sonowal said that the city of steamers is being heard again in Dibrugarh after many decades. Through this, Dibrugarh including north-east India has been directly connected with international waterway trade.

Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma mentioned the incident as an important moment of the economic history of the state. According to him, products produced in the industry of Assam will now get the opportunity to reach markets outside the country via the river route.

This consignment of methanol has been produced by the state-owned institution Assam Petrochemicals Limited (APL) of Namrup of Assam. The distance of the waterway from Bogibeel to Pangaon of Bangladesh is about 1,300 kilometres.

Among this, the barge will reach the India-Bangladesh border after covering a path of about 768 kilometres via the National Waterway-2 (NW-2) of the Brahmaputra in the Indian portion. After that, it will go to Pangaon port by using the India-Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (IBPTR) route.

However, the use of the Brahmaputra for transporting goods from Dibrugarh is not new. Once tea used to be transported from Dibrugarh via this river route. Later, the transportation of goods via the river route decreased with the expansion of the railway. The historic ghat of Dibrugarh became inactive in 1956.

Recently, infrastructure related to customs and immigration has been built in Bogibeel and Dhubri. The passenger and cargo terminal was launched in Bogibeel in February 2024. These infrastructures are playing a role in reviving international river trade.

Earlier in 2022, products of Tata Steel were transported from Haldia of India to Pandu of Guwahati by using the waterway of Bangladesh. In 2023, the tourist ship ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ also crossed this path. However, those concerned have informed that the incident of commercial goods transportation directly from Assam towards any foreign port is the first this time.