According to the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, India is seeking to establish an inland waterway transport (IWT) method over the Brahmaputra River. The Indo-Bangladesh protocol routes are being developed collaboratively by India and Bangladesh to promote connection between national waterways and boost inland traffic in the North East. A ship repair facility is also being built in Pandu as part of the waterway development project.
Currently, vessels from the North Eastern Region (NER) are transported to Kolkata for dry dock repairs via Bangladesh. The project, which is expected to be completed by 2025, is considered to be helpful to the North Eastern regions. Fairways are also being built in the Sunderbans to allow vessels to navigate the Indo-Bangladesh protocol routes.
Bhutan has identified Inland waterways as an alternate mode of transportation for trade in Bangladesh due to lower transportation cost, larger shipment size compared to road, as well as avoiding congestion on land routes.
