- Assam flagged off its first international waterway shipment from Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh
- A barge carrying 540 tonnes of methanol left for Dhaka via National Waterway-2, Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route
- This is the first cargo export from upper Assam to a foreign port since India's 1947 independence
Assam marked a historic milestone on Monday as the first international shipment to be ferried via waterways was flagged off from the Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh, opening a new chapter in inland waterway connectivity between the Northeast and neighbouring countries.
This is the first batch of cargo to be shipped from upper Assam's Dibrugarh to a foreign port since India's independence in 1947. The event comes nearly 70 years after the town's river ghat closed.
A barge carrying 540 tonnes of methanol left the Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh for Dhaka, Bangladesh. Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the vessel DLB Patkai, pushed by the tug Kushal Konwar from Bogibeel. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the ceremony virtually.
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The maiden cargo voyage carrying methanol from Dibrugarh to Dhaka will travel through National Waterway-2 along the Brahmaputra and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.
The methanol, produced by state-owned Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd at Namrup, is bound for Pangaon Port in Dhaka. The vessel will travel about 768 kilometres down National Waterway-2 on the Brahmaputra River in India to the Indo-Bangladesh border, then continue along the IBPR. The vessel will cover a total distance of 1,300 kms from Bogibeel, Dibrugarh to Narayanganj, Dhaka.
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The cargo movement marks a significant development in Assam's international trade connectivity, with the Brahmaputra once again emerging as a potential gateway for exports from the Northeast to international markets. The shipment became possible after customs and immigration complexes were set up at Bogibeel and Dhubri recently.
Addressing reporters, Sonowal described the occasion as historic and said Assam Petrochemicals had taken steps to export around 540 tonnes of cargo to Bangladesh.
Sonowal said the development was possible because of the sustained focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on improving connectivity and infrastructure in the Northeast. "Our grandparents grew up hearing the steamer whistle at Dibrugarh Ghat. For 70 years, that whistle fell silent and the ships stopped coming," Sonowal said. "Today, a ship leaves Dibrugarh for the world once again. The river never failed us. What it lacked for decades was the will to revive it," he added.
He said the development of National Waterway-2 opened new possibilities for trade and commerce, particularly for Assam and other northeastern states. The Union minister said inland waterways can significantly reduce logistics costs compared to road transportation, creating opportunities for farmers, MSMEs and industries.
He said the improved waterway connectivity could benefit sectors such as fertilisers, oil, refineries and petrochemicals, while also strengthening trade links with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar.
Dibrugarh was once among the busiest river ports in eastern India. Government steamers reached the town from Calcutta by 1856. In 1882, the Dibru-Sadiya Railway began operating from the Dibrugarh steamer ghat. By 1913, steamers sailed up the Brahmaputra to the town daily, carrying tea, timber and passengers.
The 1947 partition cut that route, forcing Assam's goods to pass through East Pakistan to reach Calcutta. A 1950 earthquake disturbed the riverbed at Dibrugarh. Regular bookings from Dibrugarh Ghat stopped in 1954, and the ghat closed on October 15, 1956, as tea shipments shifted to rail.
"For decades, that glory was allowed to fade. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we set out to give Dibrugarh back its rightful place. The Bogibeel terminal, the customs and immigration complex and fixed-schedule cargo services under 'Jalvahak' are giving this historic town modern amenities and world-class infrastructure. We are building for the future while reinstating the heritage that made Dibrugarh great. Today, as cargo leaves Dibrugarh for a foreign port once again, the town's proud past and its promising future meet on the same river," Sonowal added.
The first international cargo movement from Dibrugarh is being seen as an important step towards positioning the Brahmaputra as a major trade corridor connecting Assam and the wider Northeast with regional and international markets.
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