B'desh allows transshipment of Indian goods on trial basis

Bangladesh has allowed transshipment of Indian goods from its northeastern areas on trial basis in line with a bilateral agreement, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni has said.

"Three cargo ships - two Bangladeshi and one Indian - are now anchored at Ashuganj river port and the fourth ship is sailing towards Ashuganj from Kolkata port," she said.

She said road, railway and water transit between the two countries were already there in the existing agreements signed in 1972 and 1980, and renewed over the years.

In November last year, India and Bangladesh signed a crucial deal to allow Indian heavy equipment be transshipped to its landlocked northeastern Tripura state for a proposed power plant through Bangladeshi territory.

Roads & Highways chief engineer Azizur Rahman and India's Oil and Natural gas Corporation's senior advisor RK Madan signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which would allow India to transport heavy equipment for its proposed Palatana Power Plant in Tripura in 96 consignments through Bangladesh.