Cargo vessel flagged off for her maiden voyage to Chittagong

Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port (Kolkata) chairman Vinit Kumar, on

Saturday, flagged off a cargo vessel TRANS SAMUDERA on her maiden voyage to Chittagong port with containers for transit cargo to Assam under an ACMP (Agreement on the use of Chittagong and Mongla Port) in Bangladesh.

The vessel started its journey to Silchar via Chittagong port and Sheola-Shutarkhandi LCS border points. The container VSTU2031090 is loaded with 25 MT TMT bar from Tata Steel.

The move assumes significance ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India next week.

The agreement is that Mongla to Tamabil, Tamabil to Chittagong,Chittagong to Sheola and Mongla to Bibirbazar ports in Bangladesh are to be used for shipment of cargos to the northeast India.

The SMP Kolkata partnered with Maersk Line India Pvt Ltd. to carry-out two trial runs from Mongla to Tamabil and Mongla to Bibirbazar.

After being transported by river routes in Bangladesh, the goods will enter India through border check points at Dawki in Meghalaya and Srimantapur in West Bengal.

It will open up alternate routes through waterways for transportation of coastal containers from Kolkata or Haldia to northeast states along with other EXIM containers going to Bangladesh in the same barge or vessel.

The cargo movement from SMPK to the northeast through the Indo-Bangladesh route will reduce the transit cost and time, Kumar said. “It will also create economic gains for the logistics and services industry.”