Indo-Bangladesh Protocol to help push cargo, cruises on inland waterways

Protocol permits inland vessels of one country to transit through specified routes of the other

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is harnessing the national waterways 1, 2 and the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route for standalone port activities, multi-modal terminals and cruise tourism.

“We will change the way transportation is undertaken. We will cooperate with the railways and road authorities as well as state governments to address all the multi-stakeholder challenges to make it a success,” Amita Prasad, chairman, IWAI, told Business Standard.

The Indo-Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Transit & Trade exists between India and Bangladesh under which inland vessels of one country can transit through the specified routes of the other.

The route