Dibrugarh, October 4: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will flag off the first international cargo voyage from Dibrugarh on October 5, with a methanol consignment produced by Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited scheduled to sail from Bogibeel Terminal to Pangaon Port in Dhaka.
The maiden voyage will travel via National Waterway-2 on the Brahmaputra and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.
According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the shipment will mark the first time since Independence that a cargo consignment is scheduled to sail from Dibrugarh to a foreign port.
The voyage is also being presented as a revival of Dibrugarh’s historic role in river trade. Before Independence, the Brahmaputra served as one of Upper Assam’s principal links to international markets, with Dibrugarh functioning as an important river port.
The flag-off is scheduled for 11 AM at Bogibeel Terminal. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is expected to join the ceremony virtually as the Chief Guest.
The event is being organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Inland Waterways Authority of India, in coordination with the Government of Assam and Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited.
The government said the voyage reflects its push to develop inland waterways as a cheaper, greener and more efficient mode of transport for the Northeast.
Senior representatives from the Assam government, IWAI and APCL are expected to attend the ceremony, along with members of Parliament and state legislators from the region.
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