📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Joydeep Chakraborty
Business
Methanol‑laden barge revives Assam river port after 70 years, heads for Dhaka
✍️ The New Indian Express
🗓 05 Oct 2026, 08:47 PM
👁 11
A barge carrying methanol set sail from Assam’s dormant river port, marking its first commercial movement in seven decades and heading for Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka.
The long‑inactive river port in Assam witnessed activity after 70 years when a barge loaded with methanol departed for Dhaka. The vessel, part of a bilateral trade arrangement, signals a revival of waterway commerce between India’s northeast and Bangladesh. Authorities said the barge left the port under strict safety protocols, given the hazardous nature of the cargo.
The movement is being hailed by regional trade bodies as a step toward better utilization of the inland waterways network envisioned under the Bangladesh‑India Inland Water Transit and Trade (IIWT) agreement. The cargo is expected to be off‑loaded at a Bangladeshi terminal before distribution to downstream users.
Local officials noted that the successful dispatch could encourage further investments in port infrastructure and stimulate economic activity in the surrounding districts, which have long awaited a functional waterway link.
The barge’s departure also aligns with broader government efforts to diversify logistics channels and reduce reliance on road transport in the region. Monitoring agencies will continue to track the shipment to ensure compliance with environmental and safety standards.
The movement is being hailed by regional trade bodies as a step toward better utilization of the inland waterways network envisioned under the Bangladesh‑India Inland Water Transit and Trade (IIWT) agreement. The cargo is expected to be off‑loaded at a Bangladeshi terminal before distribution to downstream users.
Local officials noted that the successful dispatch could encourage further investments in port infrastructure and stimulate economic activity in the surrounding districts, which have long awaited a functional waterway link.
The barge’s departure also aligns with broader government efforts to diversify logistics channels and reduce reliance on road transport in the region. Monitoring agencies will continue to track the shipment to ensure compliance with environmental and safety standards.