Historic Voyage! Assam's First International Cargo in 78 Years Sails to Dhaka

After 78 years, the sounds of international trade have returned to eastern Assam's waterways. A barge carrying 540 metric tonnes of methanol departed from the Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh district on Monday, October 5, 2025, destined for Dhaka, Bangladesh. This momentous journey marks the first international shipment from the region since India gained independence in 1947.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, officially flagged off the vessel, DLB Patkai, which was propelled by the tug Kushal Konwar. The methanol cargo, produced by the State-owned Assam Petrochemicals Limited in Namrup, is headed for Pangaon port in Dhaka's Narayanganj.

The vessel will navigate approximately 768 km along the mighty Brahmaputra River (National Waterway-2) to the India-Bangladesh border, before continuing its journey on the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route, covering a total distance of about 1,300 km. Mr. Sonowal emphasized the significance of this cargo shipment, viewing it as a crucial test to determine the commercial viability of the Brahmaputra as a freight corridor connecting the northeastern region to global markets.

He nostalgically recalled the past, stating, “Our grandparents grew up hearing the steamer whistle at Dibrugarh ghat.

For 70 years, that whistle fell silent, and the ships stopped coming. A cargo vessel has left Dibrugarh for the world once again.

The river never failed us, but the will to revive the route was lacking for decades.” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, participating virtually, lauded the revival of international cargo movement as a “proud day for Assam.” This renewed trade was made possible by the recent establishment of Customs and Immigration complexes at Bogibeel and Dhubri, according to officials from the Inland Waterways Authority of India. Dibrugarh once stood as one of eastern India's busiest river ports, with government-run steamers connecting it to Calcutta (now Kolkata) as early as 1856.

The Dibru-Sadiya Railway commenced operations from the Dibrugarh ghat in 1882, and by 1913, daily steamers transported tea, timber, and passengers up the Brahmaputra. However, the 1947 Partition severed this vital route, forcing Assam's goods to travel through East Pakistan to reach Calcutta.

Further setbacks included a 1950 earthquake that altered the riverbed at Dibrugarh, leading to the cessation of regular bookings from Dibrugarh ghat by 1954 and its eventual closure on October 15, 1956. Cross-border river trade was also suspended during the 1965 war between India and Pakistan.

Despite these challenges, India and Bangladesh signed a river trade protocol in 1972, and in 1988, the 891 km stretch of the Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri was designated National Waterway 2. Regular cargo services on this waterway resumed in December 2017.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reports a significant increase in cargo on India's national waterways, from 18 million metric tonnes in fiscal year 2013-14 to 218 million metric tonnes in 2025-26. Over ₹68 billion (approximately $770 million) is being invested in waterways across the northeast, including enhancements to National Waterway-2, a ship repair facility at Pandu, and improved last-mile connectivity to Pandu port.

Mr. Sonowal highlighted the environmental and logistical benefits, stating,

Every tonne we move on the river means less fuel burnt and fewer trucks on the highway.

India is actively working with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar to establish broader regional waterway links.

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