Kolkata, Dec 14 (PTI) Union Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is scheduled to flag-off three cargo vessels from here on Sunday, launching a new Cargo Promotion Scheme and Scheduled Cargo Vessel Services along National Waterways 1 and 2, with routes to Varanasi, Patna, and Guwahati.

The Guwahati-bound cargo vessel will follow the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route, which has so far remained unaffected despite the ongoing unrest in the neighbouring country.

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The cargo vessel headed to Patna will carry gypsum, while the one bound for Varanasi will transport coal, and the one to Guwahati will carry cement, officials said.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) officials told PTI that trade via the protocol route has not been disrupted despite the political unrest in Bangladesh.

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"Both countries are providing permissions without any issues so far," an IWAI official said. He, however, acknowledged that trade between the two countries has declined over the past year due to several factors.

Sagar Khastagir, an Indo-Bangladesh trade analyst, pointed out that the transportation of fly ash—a key commodity for cement plants in Bangladesh—has dropped by nearly 35-40 per cent in recent months.

"This decline is linked to a slowdown in infrastructure development in Bangladesh, following the fall of the Hasina government and the resulting political instability," he said, adding that delays in payments are also affecting vessel operators.

He noted that under normal circumstances, over 3,000 vessels used to annually transport fly ash, but both the volume and the number of vessels have declined due to the ongoing political and financial challenges.

Former FIEO (Federation of Indian Export Organisations) Eastern Region chairman Sushil Patwari, however, claimed that while there have been no significant disruptions in trade, the business volume has taken a hit because of broader economic challenges.

However, despite the unrest in Bangladesh, Petrapole — the largest land port between the two neighbouring nations — has continued to function normally, officials said. PTI BSM

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