The first ever export consignment of food product has left for India using inland waterways under the protocol on inland transit and trade marking the golden jubilee of independence of Bangladesh. A Bangladeshi barge carrying PRAN’s food products left for Kolkata after sailing from PRAN Industrial Park, Palash, Narsigndi.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, State Minister for Shipping, inaugurated the new opportunity of the export via inland waterways as a chief guest on Tuesday at the park premises.
The new opportunity of the export initiative has been taken by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). PRAN Group, Bangladesh’s leading food processor, is taking the opportunity to be the part of the history to become the first exporter of food items through waterways.
The vessel with 40000 cartons of PRAN Litchi Drink, has started its journey from the PRAN Industrial Park on March 16 which will reach Kolkata after completing around 710 km river route journey. If the export of the same amount of product has been happened through land port, a total of 40 tracks are needed for this.
As a result, the opportunity of export using waterways will ease pressure on the road and will increase the export of Bangladeshi products in India. Therefore, it will be possible to export huge quantity of products easily at low cost without hassle.
Addressing the program, State Minister for Shipping said, “The inauguration of export through waterways is not only the matter of pride to Bangladeshis, but also for all Bengali people who are living around the world. Our honorable prime minister give us the direction to enhance trade using waterways. Our ministry is working to increase river route and to restore the navigability of the river.”
Commodore Golam Sadeq, Chairman at BIWTA, said, “The export through waterways with India under Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWT&T)mainly depend on fly ash transport. A total of 96 percent of transported products is fly ash that is used as raw materials for cement. The trade is mainly one way that create imbalance of business via river route between Bangladesh and India.”
Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Chairman and CEO at PRAN-RFL Group said, “It is matter of pleasure that we have become the part of history by exporting of food items through waterways. There is a huge market of PRAN Products in India where 130 crore people are living. Now PRAN is exporting its product in the all province of India.”
Anwarul Ashraf Khan, MP of Narsingdi-2 constituency, Dr. Md. Jafar Uddin, CommerceSecretary, Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, Shipping Secretary, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Director at BIWTA, Kamol Kumar Ghosh, Additional DC(General) of Narsingdi, Enamul Haque Sagar, Additional SP of Narsingdi and Officials of PRAN-RFL group were also present at the ceremony.
