India seeks regular transit through Mongla, Chittagong Ports

NEW DELHI: India has sought permission to start using the two Bangladesh seaports at Chittagong and Mongla for regular transit of cargoes destined for its North-Eastern States, officials say.

The neighbouring country is seeking the facility almost six months after holding a trial-run of its cargo using the Chittagong Port. Four Containers carrying iron and pulse were transported to Tripura and Assam through the Akhaura-Agartala land port in the trial run.

The trial run was done on July 16 last year under the bilateral deal namely– agreement on the use of Chattogram and Mongla Port for the movement of goods to and from India. The agreement was signed back in October 2018.

“The Indian authorities concerned have requested the regular operationalisation of this agreement. (Issuing) permanent order by the National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh for regular movement of India (n) transit cargo,” a letter of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said.

The letter, sent last week to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Shipping and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in Dhaka, it also sought considering electronic filing of the import general manifest (IGM) instead of the manual IGM available at present for the transit cargo.