Sea Route to Connect North East via Bangladesh:
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), formerly known as the Kolkata Port Trust, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saif Powertec Ltd (SPL) in Bangladesh. This MoU aims to facilitate the establishment of a new multimodal transportation route that will connect the North East (NE) region of India through various points including Chattogram, Mongla Port, Ashuganj River Port, or Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Bangladesh.
This initiative is expected to streamline the transportation of cargo from mainland India to the Northeast region, reducing both time and costs. Additionally, it provides an alternative route that bypasses the congested Siliguri and Guwahati corridors. The distance between Kolkata and Agartala, for instance, is approximately 1619 km via Siliguri, but using the Chattogram port route, it’s only around 575 km. Traveling by road via Siliguri takes 6-7 days, while the Chattogram port route can be covered in just 4-5 days from SMPK.
Rathendra Raman, Chairman of SMPK, emphasized that establishing a reliable liner service for containerized vessels on river and sea routes, along with efficient handling facilities at the ports, will encourage traders and cargo owners from both India and Bangladesh to utilize these waterways regularly.
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