Bangladesh opens new ports of call with India to increase trade

Bangladesh and India have added five more ports of call to its existing six and two Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) water routes.

The move would help reduce transport cost in exporting bulk amount of cement to Tripura and the other northeastern states, said Mr Shahidullah, managing director of Metrocem Cement and first vice-president of Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association.

The five new ports of call in Bangladesh that were put in the Second Addendum to the Protocol on Transit and Trade are Rajshahi, Sultanganj, Chilmari, Daudkandi and Bahadurabad, while on the Indian side are Dhulian, Maia, Kolaghat, Sonamura and Jogigopha.

About five per cent of the country's total cement production heads out to the northeastern states of India, reported the Daily Star.