Prime Freight’s summary of a September 2022 report by The Loadstar. Read the original for the full story.
In September 2022 India offered Bangladesh toll-free transit through its territory and seaports for trade with third countries, an offer Bangladeshi exporters welcomed.
The offer was made during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi and confirmed in a joint statement covering specified land customs stations, airports and seaports. India also said it would not charge transit fees on Bangladeshi exports to Nepal and Bhutan, which Bangladesh can only reach through Indian territory. India asked to extend the 2015 bilateral coastal shipping agreement to third-country cargo, and both sides agreed to explore direct shipping links.
Bangladesh had already given India transit rights that cut routes from West Bengal to India’s north-eastern states from about 1,600 km to a few hundred. Bangladesh’s commerce minister said a joint committee would decide next steps. Exporters said the option could help them avoid congestion at Chittagong, noting that many apparel shippers already used Indian airports to save costs and would use Indian seaports too if costs were reasonable.
What it meant for shippers
New transit rights do not change routings overnight; they depend on implementation, costs and customs procedures. For Bangladesh-origin cargo it signalled that Indian gateways could become a practical alternative to Chittagong for some flows.