Bangladeshi vessels being subjected to restrictions in Indian ports
Indian port authority always creates different impediments to the sailors of the Bangladeshi vessels when they disembark from the ships in their ports.
Bangladeshi vessels are being subjected to a number of impediments allegedly created by the Indian port authorities. These include absence of facilities for ship pilots, refusal of permission to them for disembarking from the vessels and creation of visa problems, BIWTA sources said.
These problems were raised at a meeting between the officials of Bangladesh and India on the standing committee on port of calls between Bangladesh and India in Dhaka yesterday.
It was held at the office of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to iron out the problems and other issues to prepare agreed minutes on the port calls of vessels of the two countries. Rajeev Gupta, joint secretary of Indian shipping ministry led an eight-member delegation, while Md Alauddin, joint secretary of the shipping ministry led a 13-member Bangladesh delegation at the meeting.
Both the sides had agreed on existence of such problems and decided that after examining them, they would take necessary actions to sort them out, the sources said.
After an eight-hour long discussion, both the sides signed the minutes, the sources said adding, the minutes were signed by Md Alauddin and Rajeev Gupta on behalf of their respective governments.
But the two-year agreement will finally be signed at secretary level soon ironing out the impediments, he said.
According to a high official of the BIWTA, "Bangladesh raised different issues like India never giving facilities to the Bangladeshi pilots. The Indian port authority always creates different impediments to the sailors of the Bangladeshi vessels when they disembark from the ships in their ports."
"Obtaining Indian visa remains a serious problem for the Bangladeshi sailors," he added.
The sources said, the Indian team had urged the Bangladesh side to open the Ashuganj port in a full-fledged way and repair the Khanpur jetty terminal at Narayanganj, upgrading it to handle containers.
The shipping ministry will set up a river port at Ashuganj and procure six dredgers at a cost of Taka 744.70 crore under a US$ 1 billion credit to be provided by India.
The construction of Ashuganj river port would cost Taka 250 crore.
The sources said, five ports of call would be built at Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Khulna, Mongla and Ashuganj on Bangladesh side, while Kolkata, Haldia (West Bengal), Pandu (Guwahati), Karimganj and Shilchar (Assam) in Indian side.
Meanwhile, BIWTA Chairman Abdul Malek Mian said India-Ashuganj container terminal via Khulna, Mongla, Barisal and Narayanganj will be used to ferry goods to the north eastern region of India.
BTWTA Executive Engineer Rakibul Islam Talukder said, implementation of the project would begin on the receipt of the allocations. The project is scheduled to be completed between 2010 and 2013.
http://www.theindependentbd.com/paper-edition/frontpage/129-frontpage/3427-bangladeshi-vessels-being-subjected-to-restrictions-in-indian-ports.html
These problems were raised at a meeting between the officials of Bangladesh and India on the standing committee on port of calls between Bangladesh and India in Dhaka yesterday.
It was held at the office of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to iron out the problems and other issues to prepare agreed minutes on the port calls of vessels of the two countries. Rajeev Gupta, joint secretary of Indian shipping ministry led an eight-member delegation, while Md Alauddin, joint secretary of the shipping ministry led a 13-member Bangladesh delegation at the meeting.
Both the sides had agreed on existence of such problems and decided that after examining them, they would take necessary actions to sort them out, the sources said.
After an eight-hour long discussion, both the sides signed the minutes, the sources said adding, the minutes were signed by Md Alauddin and Rajeev Gupta on behalf of their respective governments.
But the two-year agreement will finally be signed at secretary level soon ironing out the impediments, he said.
According to a high official of the BIWTA, "Bangladesh raised different issues like India never giving facilities to the Bangladeshi pilots. The Indian port authority always creates different impediments to the sailors of the Bangladeshi vessels when they disembark from the ships in their ports."
"Obtaining Indian visa remains a serious problem for the Bangladeshi sailors," he added.
The sources said, the Indian team had urged the Bangladesh side to open the Ashuganj port in a full-fledged way and repair the Khanpur jetty terminal at Narayanganj, upgrading it to handle containers.
The shipping ministry will set up a river port at Ashuganj and procure six dredgers at a cost of Taka 744.70 crore under a US$ 1 billion credit to be provided by India.
The construction of Ashuganj river port would cost Taka 250 crore.
The sources said, five ports of call would be built at Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Khulna, Mongla and Ashuganj on Bangladesh side, while Kolkata, Haldia (West Bengal), Pandu (Guwahati), Karimganj and Shilchar (Assam) in Indian side.
Meanwhile, BIWTA Chairman Abdul Malek Mian said India-Ashuganj container terminal via Khulna, Mongla, Barisal and Narayanganj will be used to ferry goods to the north eastern region of India.
BTWTA Executive Engineer Rakibul Islam Talukder said, implementation of the project would begin on the receipt of the allocations. The project is scheduled to be completed between 2010 and 2013.
http://www.theindependentbd.com/paper-edition/frontpage/129-frontpage/3427-bangladeshi-vessels-being-subjected-to-restrictions-in-indian-ports.html
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