Assam’s Dibrugarh set to resume international cargo movement on Brahmaputra after nearly 80 years

Dibrugarh in Assam is set to witness the resumption of international cargo movement through the Brahmaputra, with a vessel carrying methanol scheduled to sail from the newly developed Bogibeel Inland Water Transport Terminal to Dhaka in Bangladesh.

The proposed operation is being described as the first commercial cargo movement from Dibrugarh through the Brahmaputra to a foreign destination since Independence. The initiative marks a revival of the city’s historic association with inland waterways and international trade.

During the British era, cargo vessels operated by the East India Company sailed along the Brahmaputra through Dibrugarh, transporting goods to various parts of the country and overseas.

The historic waterway connection is now being revived through the Bogibeel terminal, an initiative driven by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.

Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APCL), Namrup, plans to transport methanol from Bogibeel to Dhaka through the inland waterway route.

Two vessels, each carrying 27 containers, have been prepared for the operation. Each container will carry 20 tonnes of methanol, giving each vessel a carrying capacity of 540 tonnes and a combined capacity of 1,080 tonnes.

The vessels are expected to cover the approximately 783-km waterway from Bogibeel to the Bangladesh border in around seven days.

The Bogibeel terminal has been equipped for commercial cargo operations, with customs facilities, a jetty and a warehouse in place. A lighthouse and a Regional Centre of Excellence are also under construction.

The terminal is expected to facilitate the movement of a wider range of commodities once fully operational. These could include products manufactured by Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), petroleum products, coal and tea industry products for markets beyond the region.

The waterway could also provide an additional transportation route for agricultural products from Assam, including Assam lemon, Bhut Jolokia and black pepper, potentially enabling producers to access international markets.

Dibrugarh was an important trading centre during the British period and was among the major revenue-generating districts at the time. The revival of commercial cargo movement through Bogibeel could strengthen its role in Assam's inland-waterway trade network.

In a post on X, Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited Chairman Bikul Deka said the initiative was close to becoming a reality.

Deka said he was not aware of any commercial activity involving inland water transport from Dibrugarh through the Brahmaputra since Independence, or of locally manufactured products being commercially transported through the route after the British left.

According to Deka, two vessels belonging to the Assam government's Inland Water Transport Department had remained unused for nearly 30 years. The vessels were subsequently taken on lease by Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited and repaired at Pandu Ghat in Guwahati.

The plan was later formulated to transport APCL's manufactured methanol from Bogibeel in Dibrugarh to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Deka said the initiative could provide a more economical mode of transportation through the Brahmaputra and support import-export activity in the region.

"Today, our vessel DLB Patkai arrived at Bogibeel from Guwahati," Deka said in his post.