Ashuganj in Bangladesh was declared as Port of Call under the Protocol on Inland Waterways Transit & Trade (PIWTT) in May, 2010 for transshipment of bulk and break cargo to Tripura and other North-Eastern States viz. Manipur, Mizoram and lower Assam. During the visit of Prime Minister to Bangladesh, a new version of PIWTT which allows for automatic renewal every five years was signed at Dhaka on 06/06/2016 between India and Bangladesh. This route not only significantly reduces the circuitous distance of chicken-neck corridor (Siliguri) between mainland India and states in North-Eastern region but also reduces the overall transportation cost of the cargo considerably.
In a significant move recently, the above route witnessed the transit of 1004.410 MT of Steel and TMT bars from Kolkata to Agartala via Ashuganj, Bangladesh. M.V Newtek-6 sailed from Kolkata with steel and TMT bars on 2/6/2016 and reached Ashuganj on 14/6/2016 and was brought to Agartala through Akhuara Border on 20/6/2016. Transit and other fees as mutually agreed under the said protocol was paid at Khulna, Bangladesh.
Earlier, movement of Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC) on ONGC for Palatana Power Project and food grains were also transported to Tripura via Ashuganj inland port by Food Corporation of India.
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