Rajshahi-Murshidabad river route opens today: Trade deficit between BD-India increased despite connectivity
Reza Mahmud :
River route connectivity between Bangladesh and India with the Rajshahi-Murshidabad route will be opened on Monday aiming at strengthening trade and commerce between the two countries.
Sources said, Sultanganj river port under Godagari upazila in Rajshahi is set to open with the main thrust of strengthening trade and economic ties between the two countries.
Muhammad Shah Alam, Sub Assistant Engineer of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said initially the river port will be connected to the Maya Port of Murshidabad, India, via the Padma River. State Minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury is scheduled to inaugurate the river port in the presence of Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma.
Among others, Presidium Member of Bangladesh Awami League and Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Omar Faruk Chowdhury, MP, and BIWTA Chairman Commodore Afir Ahmed Mostafa will also attend the programme.
The protocol was signed in 1972 and renewed on March 31, 2020, to ensure that both countries benefit from their waterways for trade and commerce, he added. The distance of this route is only 17 kilometres.
During the dry season, 200-300 tonnes of goods can be transported in each cargo. During monsoon, transportation of goods will be a bit difficult due to the strong current in the river.
A small ship carrying two tonnes of cotton will depart from Sultanpur port to Maya port on the day of the inauguration, with the return cargo from India to be confirmed in the next couple of days,” he added.
BIWTA Assistant Engineer Shah Alam said a control place has already been established at the port ahead of the inauguration.
President of Exporters’ and Importers’ Association of Chapainawabganj Kazi Shahabuddin said a 500-tonne capacity barge in the river is equivalent to 25 trucks on the road, and barges use less fuel oil. Prices of goods will naturally fall.
President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Masudur Rahman said the river has lost its navigability and must be excavated before the full benefits of the river port can be realised.
Meanwhile, the experts said the connectivity between Bangladesh and India has been expanded through road and rail links but the trade deficit with India are increasing day by day.
When contacted, Eminent Economist, Dr Zahid Hossain told The New Nation on Sunday, “The trade balance between Bangladesh and India showed negative for long as the import is so high compared to export from Bangladesh to India.”
The economist said, there is no relation between connectivity with the trade balance as the Indian side made various barriers of importing goods from Bangladesh including higher tariff, duty dumping and other complications.
There should be a free trade pact with India for removing such barriers, he said.
In November 2023, India exported $977M and imported $133M from Bangladesh, resulting in a positive trade balance of $844M. Between November 2022 and November 2023 the exports of India have increased by $210M (27.4%) from $767M to $977M, while imports decreased by $-31.3M (-19%) from $165M to $133M.
