By Farzana Tamannur (TON Bangladesh)

Bangladesh has opened six new ports of call for use by Bhutan from September 15 2022. The Bhutanese delegation led by economic affairs ministry’s secretary, Karma Tshering and the Bangladeshi delegation led by the ministry of shipping’s secretary Mostafa Kamal signed the revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the MoU on the use of Inland Channels on September 15 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The new ports of call are Aricha, Sirajganj, Mongla, Chilmari, Chattogram as well as Payra Port. Bahadurabad was also settled as an extended port of call of Chilmari.
Previous, there was single one port of call selected for use by Bhutan.
The new ports of call are set to deliver alternative export and import transit routes and modes of transportation (with increased ports of call) for export and import, as per the press release from the financial affairs ministry.
It also added that the new ports would benefit to promote, facilitate, develop and deepen trade relations among Bhutan and Bangladesh and be complementary to the Preferential Trade Contract that came into effect from July 1, 2022.
The new provisions were settled upon when the Bhutanese delegation met with the Ministry of Shipping and associated stakeholders in continuance to the second Joint Technical Committee (JTC) meeting to revise the SOP for the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Use of Inland Waterways among Bangladesh and Bhutan. The Bangladesh government also agreed to ponder Bahadurabad as a protracted port of call for Chilmari. Presently extended port of call at Bahaduradad has no custom services however the exporters can still facilitate loading and unloading afterward completing customs procedures at Chilmari.
These ports of call will be formalized upon the signing of the reviewed standard operating procedure (SOP) among the two countries, as per a press release from the Division of Trade (DoT) of Bhutan.
The Bangladesh delegation was led by the joint secretary of the Ministry of Shipping, ATM Monemul Haque and the Bhutanese delegation was led by the director general of the DoT, Sonam Tenzin.
Bhutan has only one port of call as of today, which is Narayanganji in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh government also decided to consider Bahadurabad as a protracted port of call for Chilmari, the DoT release stated.
The press declaration added that presently extended port of call at Bahaduradad has no custom services however the exporters could still facilitate loading and unloading afterward completing customs procedures at Chilmari.
The contract and the revision of the SOP with the new ports of call are anticipated to provide alternate export and import transit routes and modes of transport for the private sector, it added.
It would moreover help to promote, facilitate, increase and deepen trade relations between Bhutan and Bangladesh and complement the Preferential Trade Agreement that would come into effect from July 1.
The press release specified that the meeting finalized the text of the contract and its protocol. “The contract and protocol will be scheduled at the Commerce Secretary Level Meeting of the two governments for endorsement and consequently to the Parliament (Bhutanese) for endorsement.”
Once approved by the two corresponding countries, Bhutan could facilitate the movement of properties in transit (both imports and exports) over Bangladesh including the exit over the seaports of Payra, Mongla, and Chattogram.