For the first time, the passenger and cruise ships of the two neighbouring countries—Bangladesh and India—will be allowed to stay for 72 hours during their visits to different seaports of the other country. The permission would be given to them under a proposed protocol on passenger and cruise services on the coastal and protocol route between Bangladesh and India, to be signed soon, the sources in the shipping and home ministries said.
At a shipping secretary-level meeting of the two countries held in New Delhi in 2015, Indian authorities urged the Bangladesh government to permit the Indian cruise ships to stay for 72 hours during their visits to Bangladesh. The secretaries of both countries agreed to give such permissions to the cruise ships of both countries during their visits. A standard operating procedure (SOP) was signed to this effect.
Under the SOP, Bangladesh’s shipping ministry sent a proposal to the home ministry seeking the necessary permission. The home ministry recently gave permission and asked for the establishment of the required immigration infrastructure at the country’s seaports—especially in Chittagong and Mongla seaport, the sources added.
Talking to The Independent, shipping secretary Ashok Madhab Roy said that they are going to sign an agreement soon on the matter.
“I cannot say when the protocol would be signed—that depends on the decision of the two governments,” he said. “We have already requested the authorities to establish immigration infrastructures to permit Indian cruise ships to stay 72 hours in the Bangladeshi seaports,” he added. Sources said after the protocol is signed, Bangladeshi and Indian cruise ships will be able to stay at seaports in the other country for 72 hours, provided the passengers have passports. Through an MoU on passenger and cruise services on coastal and protocol routes, the governments have agreed to pay a transit fee of approximately USD 2.500 per metric tonne for the transhipment operations at Ashuganj port for the movement of goods to and from the north-eastern part of India.  Additionally, the countries agreed that measures should be taken to ensure an adequate draught in the upper reaches of the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route in Bangladesh. With this decision, Bangladesh will submit a proposal for dredging rivers in Bangladesh, including the ones under this protocol route.