Staff reporter

Bangladesh has opened six new ports of call for use by Bhutan from September 15 this year.

The Bhutanese delegation led by economic affairs ministry’s secretary, Karma Tshering and the Bangladeshi delegation led by the ministry of shipping’s secretary Mostafa Kamal signed the signed the amended Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the MoU on the use of Inland Waterways on September 15 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 




The new ports of call are Aricha, Chilmari, Sirajganj, Mongla, Chattogram and Payra Port. Bahadurabad was also agreed as an extended port of call of Chilmari.

Earlier, there was only one port of call designated for use by Bhutan. 

The amended SOP is expected to provide alternative transit routes and modes of transportation (with increased ports of call) for export and import. 




The new ports of call are set to provide alternative export and import transit routes and modes of transportation (with increased ports of call) for export and import, according to the press release from the economic affairs ministry.

It also added that the new ports would help to promote, facilitate, expand and deepen trade relations between Bhutan and Bangladesh and be complementary to the Preferential Trade Agreement that came into effect from July 1, this year. 

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