Formal Indo-Bangla transshipment from tomorrow

Formal transshipment between Bangladesh and India will begin from Thursday. A Bangladeshi ship carrying 1,000 tonnes of corrugated iron sheets, which will be transported to the north-eastern Indian state of Tripura, will arrive at Ashuganj port this afternoon. The goods will be unloaded at Ashuganj and then loaded on Bangladeshi trucks, which will cross the Indo-Bangla border in Akhaura and travel 32 km into Tripura. Though the issue of the sharing of Teesta waters has not been resolved yet, India’s request to Bangladesh to provide transit facilities has been granted. “All preparations are complete to make the transshipment fully operational. Shipping minister Shajahan Khan, along with the Prime Minister’s adviser Mashiur Rahman, will formally inaugurate the consignment for the transshipment in Ashuganj on Thursday,” chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Transport Authority (BIWTA), Commodore M Mozammel Huq, said yesterday. The Indian high commissioner in Bangladesh, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, will also be present at the inaugural programme, he added. According to the BIWTA chairman, the government has fixed a transshipment fee of Tk. 192.25 per tonne. Apart from the regular transit fee, India will also have to pay other charges, such as fees to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the roads department, he said. “The Indian side has to spend an additional Tk. 50 per tonne for transporting goods from Ashuganj to Akhaura if Bangladesh provides security for their consignments,” said BIWTA director (traffic) Mofizur Rahman. He added that India would have to pay Tk. 10 per tonne for shipment of goods through the two Bangladeshi canals—Mongla-Ghashiakhali and Gabkhan Canals.
According to Rahman, the government has also fixed labour-handling and other charges. “Users have to pay Tk. 70 per tonne as handling charges at Ashuganj port, apart from Tk. 2,100 as pilot charges and a minimum Tk. 250 per consignment as berthing charges,” he said. Anbis Development Ltd, a Bangladeshi operator, has hired the ship to carry the 1,000 tonnes of goods from Kolkata to Ashuganj. The Indian authorities had completed their last transshipment of food-grains to Tripura via Bangladesh’s Ashuganj river port under a duty-free arrangement on October 19, 2014. The government had allowed India to use 300km of waterways and 50km of roads to carry 10,000 tonnes of duty-free food grains on humanitarian grounds to Tripura under a shipping protocol. Of that, 5,000 tonnes of rice had been transhipped in August. The remaining 5,000 tonnes were transhipped on October 19. In 2013, too, the Indian government had sought permission from the BIWTA to tranship 35,000 tonnes of food-grains to Tripura through Ashuganj. Bangladesh had then charged India administrative costs for the use of the facilities at Ashuganj port, shipping ministry sources told The Independent. In April 2011, too, an Indian company had ferried heavy equipment for a power plant at Palatana in Tripura. The over-dimensional cargoes (ODCs) for the plant were ferried by 21 ships on a trial basis without paying any levies. Later, the NBR was entrusted with the responsibility of fixing levies on transshipment of goods, following criticism from local businessmen. The fees were fixed after analysing the opinions of the Bangladesh Tariff Commission and different ministries, and senior government officials. In May 2011, the government declared Ashuganj as the second transshipment point under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade. Only five months later, the Indian government had transported 3,200 tonnes of ingots to Agartala via Ashuganj free of cost through a ‘voyage’ declaration on a trial basis.

Formal Indo-Bangla transshipment from tomorrow

Formal transshipment between Bangladesh and India will begin from Thursday. A Bangladeshi ship carrying 1,000 tonnes of corrugated iron sheets, which will be transported to the north-eastern Indian state of Tripura, will arrive at Ashuganj port this afternoon. The goods will be unloaded at Ashuganj and then loaded on Bangladeshi trucks, which will cross the Indo-Bangla border in Akhaura and travel 32 km into Tripura. Though the issue of the sharing of Teesta waters has not been resolved yet, Indias request to Bangladesh to provide transit facilities has been granted. All preparations are complete to make the transshipment fully operational. Shipping minister Shajahan Khan, along with the Prime Ministers adviser Mashiur Rahman, will formally inaugurate the consignment for the transshipment in Ashuganj on Thursday, chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Transport Authority (BIWTA), Commodore M Mozammel Huq, said yesterday. The Indian high commissioner in Bangladesh, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, will also be present at the inaugural programme, he added. According to the BIWTA chairman, the government has fixed a transshipment fee of Tk. 192.25 per tonne. Apart from the regular transit fee, India will also have to pay other charges, such as fees to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the roads department, he said. The Indian side has to spend an additional Tk. 50 per tonne for transporting goods from Ashuganj to Akhaura if Bangladesh provides security for their consignments, said BIWTA director (traffic) Mofizur Rahman. He added that India would have to pay Tk. 10 per tonne for shipment of goods through the two Bangladeshi canalsMongla-Ghashiakhali and Gabkhan Canals. According to Rahman, the government has also fixed labour-handling and other charges. Users have to pay Tk. 70 per tonne as handling charges at Ashuganj port, apart from Tk. 2,100 as pilot charges and a minimum Tk. 250 per consignment as berthing charges, he said. Anbis Development Ltd, a Bangladeshi operator, has hired the ship to carry the 1,000 tonnes of goods from Kolkata to Ashuganj. The Indian authorities had completed their last transshipment of food-grains to Tripura via Bangladeshs Ashuganj river port under a duty-free arrangement on October 19, 2014. The government had allowed India to use 300km of waterways and 50km of roads to carry 10,000 tonnes of duty-free food grains on humanitarian grounds to Tripura under a shipping protocol. Of that, 5,000 tonnes of rice had been transhipped in August. The remaining 5,000 tonnes were transhipped on October 19. In 2013, too, the Indian government had sought permission from the BIWTA to tranship 35,000 tonnes of food-grains to Tripura through Ashuganj. Bangladesh had then charged India administrative costs for the use of the facilities at Ashuganj port, shipping ministry sources told The Independent. In April 2011, too, an Indian company had ferried heavy equipment for a power plant at Palatana in Tripura. The over-dimensional cargoes (ODCs) for the plant were ferried by 21 ships on a trial basis without paying any levies. Later, the NBR was entrusted with the responsibility of fixing levies on transshipment of goods, following criticism from local businessmen. The fees were fixed after analysing the opinions of the Bangladesh Tariff Commission and different ministries, and senior government officials. In May 2011, the government declared Ashuganj as the second transshipment point under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade. Only five months later, the Indian government had transported 3,200 tonnes of ingots to Agartala via Ashuganj free of cost through a voyage declaration on a trial basis.