The Danish shipping company Maersk on Monday announced that it has completed the first India-Bangladesh cross-border logistics of containerised cargo using the inland waterways of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route for Coca-Cola Bangladesh Beverages.
According to a press release from the company, the shipment consisted of 50 containers (TEUs or Twenty Feet Equivalent Units) from Kolkata in India to a river port near Dhaka in Bangladesh on a barge on the National Waterways 1 on the India side.
The company noted that the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route is not only a benefit for trade between India and Bangladesh but also extends the connection to landlocked Bhutan.
It added that the cargo movement on inland waterways or rivers is much more reliable, especially in monsoons, when the turbulent weather can cause delays while transporting goods over the ocean.
Additionally, this solution addresses the bottleneck at the land border between the two countries, the company opined.
Vikash Agarwal, Managing Director, Maersk South Asia, said, “By advancing into containerised transport on this route, we are expanding the opportunities for importers and exporters from the two countries with a faster, more reliable and safer option for their cargo.”
Angshuman Mustafi, Head, Maersk Bangladesh, noted that the solution to move cargo across the Indo-Bangladesh border has saved 60% in terms of transit time.
“In addition to the faster mode of transport, we are able to give end-to-end visibility to our customers through Daily Status Reports, which give a comparison between the estimated timelines against actual timelines,” he added.
Soumyendu Sen Sarma, Director – Finance, Coca-Cola Bangladesh Beverages, said, 'The speed of delivery with the new solution offered by Maersk over inland waterways is going to be extremely beneficial for us.'