Waterways conventionally provide a cheap mode of transport for both cargo and even passenger movement as compared to any other means of transportation. Given the presence of over 54 common rivers between India and Bangladesh, inland waterways becoming a vital component of the bilateral transport system is not really an unrealistic expectation. But despite the India-Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Trade and Transit (PIWTT), first signed in 1972 and periodically renewed ever since, it still remains a form of transport that remains rather underused. It seems rather ironical, given that Bangladesh has effectively used its waterways for their local transport system. Thus, the latest development announced by Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb about ferrying goods through the inland waterways on the river Gomti within the next three months is a very positive development in this bilateral sector. Small boats and ferries capable of carrying 50-tonne goods are expected to run through this route as soon as the temporary jetty is ready within the next 3-4 months. This is certainly significant progress for bilateral trade, especially between Bangladesh and India’s Northeast. 

India and Bangladesh has four routes under the PIWTT with five Ports of Call identified in each country. As mentioned in the official website, about 1.5 million metric tonnes of traffic is transported via the protocol routes per annum.  In recent years, there has been some momentum added to PIWTT. It was on October 25, 2018, that these two neighbours signed three bilateral memoranda of understandings with Bangladesh government to strengthen inland water transportation. In addition, they also agreed to consider the inclusion of the Rupnarayan river (National Waterway-86) from Geonkhali to Kolaghat in West Bengal in the protocol route. Kolaghat in West Bengal and Chilmari in Bangladesh has been declared as the new Ports of Call. 

Cargo movement 

The new arrangement will facilitate the movement of fly ash, cement, construction materials, etc. from India to Bangladesh through IWT on the Rupnarayan river. Furthermore, Badarpur on river Barak (NW-16) is being developed as an Extended Port of Call of Karimganj in Assam and Ghorasal of Ashuganj in Bangladesh on a reciprocal basis.  The Indian side proposed for the extension of the protocol routes from Kolkata up to Silchar in Assam. The PIWTT being linked to the number of maritime ports has lent the routes with robustness which it previously lacked. 

In keeping with the spirit of creating greater transport connectivity Bangladesh had earlier agreed to India  using its waterways to Ashuganj river port to carrying food grains from Kolkata to Tripura. To recall, in one of the first agreements Bangladesh had allowed the use of Ashuganj for a one-time transfer of Over Dimensional Cargo movement of its goods and other materials to Energy project at Palatana, Tripura. Earlier in June 2015, India and Bangladesh signed the Coastal Agreement which allows goods to move by sea from Kolkata in West Bengal to Chittagong Port in Bangladesh. India can now use the Chittagong and Mongla seaports for transporting goods to and from its landlocked Northeastern states.  This was signed during 2015 giving India access to use the two seaports to transfer goods through our entry points viz. Akhaura (Bangladesh) and Agartala (India’s Tripura), Tamabil (Sylhet, Bangladesh) and Dauki (Meghalaya), Sheola (Sylhet) and Sutarkhandi (Assam). Many of the Indian vehicles, trucks and buses are being transported through the Mongla port into Bangladesh. Indian company Ashok Leyland, one of the main suppliers, has opened a truck assembly plant in Dhamrai, Savar, in 2017. 

Tripura shows the way 

As per the recent announcement by the Tripura CM, the protocol route from the lower segment on the Gomati river between Sonamura (Siphajila, Tripura,) and Daudkandi (Comilla, Bangladesh) district of Bangladesh will facilitate cargo movement from the Ashuganj port on the Meghna river which is at a distance of only 60 km. The agreement for Sonamura-Daudkandi Protocol, the new Indo-Bangladesh protocol bilateral trade, was just recently signed on May 30, 2020. 

It has been noticed that the lack of adequate level of water and high siltation that this region experience has often come in the way of making the inland waterways more effective than its present state. However, it appears during monsoon, river Gomati has adequate water for the facilitation of boats and small ship movement. For long, India has been supporting the dredging exercise, but often some PIWTT sectors did not see much movement. As the CM mentioned the monsoon would be adequate to initiate this route. 

While a permanent jetty will need about three years and a custom terminal building would have to be built too for the imported goods from Bangladesh, this inland waterway route looks all set to ensure efficient and effective cargo movement between the two neighbours and herald a new chapter in bilateral cooperation in South Asia. This new waterway project would have significant implications not only for bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh but also for India's Northeast region. The plans to support many of the infrastructural and developmental plans in the Northeast will be enabled through an efficient cargo movement between the countries. Tripura once again is at the forefront of deepening engagement with Bangladesh. 

(The writer is Centre Head, Neighbourhood Studies and Senior Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi. She can be contacted at sreeradha@yahoo.com)

References -

D'Silva, Krishtina: “ India-Bangladesh sign
agreements to strengthen inland water transportation”, Urban Transport News, 24 October 2018 at https://urbantransportnews.com/india-bangladesh-sign-agreements-to-strengthen-inland-water-transportation/

News Report: “Cabinet approves use of Bangladesh ports for
Indian shipments to North-East”, Financial
Express 17  September  
2018 at
https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/cabinet-approves-use-of-bangladesh-ports-for-indian-shipments-to-north-east/1316609/