Dibrugarh Set to Resume Overseas River Trade With Methanol Shipment to Bangladesh

Two cargo vessels carrying methanol to Bangladesh are set to restore international river trade from Dibrugarh nearly eight decades after Independence, marking the start of commercial operations at the newly constructed Bogibeel inland water port.

The vessels will transport a combined 1,080 tonnes of methanol produced by Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited at Namrup. The shipment will travel along the Brahmaputra, reconnecting Upper Assam with a river-based trading route that was central to the region’s economy during British rule.

Two Vessels, 54 Containers

Each vessel will carry 27 containers holding approximately 20 tonnes of methanol apiece. That puts the cargo at around 540 tonnes per vessel.

The two vessels, both around 30 years old, have been prepared for the operation. They will travel nearly 783 kilometres from Bogibeel to the Bangladesh border, with the journey expected to take about seven days.

The planned departure marks a step towards using the Brahmaputra for regular commercial shipments from Upper Assam to overseas markets.

Bogibeel Prepares for Commercial Traffic

The Bogibeel port complex has a customs office, jetty and warehouse. Construction of a lighthouse and a Regional Centre of Excellence is continuing.

Poojan Kumar, the Inland Waterways Authority of India’s officer in charge at Bogibeel, said the facility would create wider opportunities to move products from Assam and neighbouring areas to international markets once fully operational.

Potential cargo includes products from Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, polymers, petroleum products, coal and goods associated with the tea industry.

The methanol shipment will begin commercial operations, while the wider range of cargo remains a potential avenue for expansion.

An Export Route for Local Produce

The waterway could also provide an overseas outlet for agricultural products from Dibrugarh and Upper Assam, including kaji nimbu, bhut jolokia and black pepper.

For local producers, the prospect is access to international buyers through a port closer to their production centres. Realising that opportunity would depend on the development of cargo services beyond the initial methanol movement.

Dibrugarh was a significant trading centre during British rule, when goods moved along the Brahmaputra to destinations within India and abroad.

The forthcoming voyage draws on that history while giving Upper Assam a new commercial departure point: Bogibeel, where the first shipment is set to put the port’s facilities into operation.

With inputs from ANI