Assam’s river trade makes a historic comeback after 70 years, first cargo heads to Bangladesh

Indian Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the vessel DLB Patkai, pushed by the tug Kushal Konwar, from Bogibeel.

The shipment is the first cargo consignment from upper Assam to a foreign port since Independence in 1947, nearly seven decades after regular operations at Dibrugarh's historic river ghat came to an end.

The methanol, produced by state-owned Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd (APCL) at Namrup, is bound for Pangaon Port in Dhaka.

The vessel will travel around 768 km along National Waterway-2 on the Brahmaputra to the India-Bangladesh border before continuing through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR). The total journey from Bogibeel in Dibrugarh to Narayanganj in Dhaka will cover approximately 1,300 km.

The voyage is being viewed as a test of the Brahmaputra's potential as a commercially viable freight corridor connecting the Northeast with overseas markets.

Regular methanol shipments to Bangladesh are planned, with the latest consignment made possible following the establishment of customs and immigration complexes at Bogibeel and Dhubri.

"Our grandparents grew up hearing the steamer whistle at Dibrugarh Ghat. For 70 years, that whistle fell silent and the ships stopped coming," Sonowal said.

"Today, a ship leaves Dibrugarh for the world once again. The river never failed us. What it lacked for decades was the will to revive it," he added.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the development as a proud moment for the state.

"Assam's own product, made in Namrup, is now travelling to an international market on Assam's own river. The Northeast is no longer a frontier. It is India's gateway to the East," Sarma said.

Sonowal described the shipment as the beginning of a new chapter in Assam's river-based trade.

"This is the first voyage, not the last. To the youth of Assam I say: Dream with this river. The world is no longer far away. It is downstream," he said.

"Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dibrugarh, the Tea Capital of India, is reclaiming the glory it once had as a great river port. We are building it with world-class infrastructure while honouring its heritage. The steamer whistle that fell silent in 1956 is heard again," Sonowal said.

Dibrugarh's river trade legacy

Dibrugarh was once among the busiest river ports in eastern India. Government steamers began reaching the town from Calcutta, now Kolkata, by 1856. In 1882, the Dibru-Sadiya Railway began operating from the Dibrugarh steamer ghat.

By 1913, steamers were sailing up the Brahmaputra to Dibrugarh daily, carrying tea, timber and passengers.

The 1947 Partition disrupted the traditional route, forcing Assam's goods to pass through East Pakistan to reach Calcutta. A 1950 earthquake also altered the riverbed near Dibrugarh.

Regular bookings from Dibrugarh Ghat stopped in 1954, and the ghat was closed on October 15, 1956, as tea shipments increasingly shifted to rail. The 1965 India-Pakistan war further disrupted cross-border river trade.

India and Bangladesh signed a river trade protocol in 1972. In 1988, the 891-km stretch of the Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri was declared National Waterway-2.

However, regular cargo services on the waterway began only in December 2017, when cement was transported from Pandu to Dhubri.

"For decades, that glory was allowed to fade. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we set out to give Dibrugarh back its rightful place," Sonowal said.

"The Bogibeel terminal, the customs and immigration complex and fixed-schedule cargo services under 'Jalvahak' are giving this historic town modern amenities and world-class infrastructure. We are building for the future while reinstating the heritage that made Dibrugarh great," he added.

"Today, as cargo leaves Dibrugarh for a foreign port once again, the town's proud past and its promising future meet on the same river," Sonowal said.

Growing activity on Northeast waterways

Activity along the route has increased in recent years. Tata Steel barges reached Pandu through Bangladesh in February 2022, while the river cruise ship MV Ganga Vilas sailed from Varanasi to Dibrugarh through Bangladesh in 2023.

The Bogibeel passenger and cargo terminal, whose foundation stone was laid in July 2023, was inaugurated in February 2024.

The 'Jalvahak' cargo incentive programme was launched in December 2024 to encourage the movement of freight through inland waterways.

According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), cargo movement on India's national waterways increased from 18 million metric tonnes in 2013-14 to 218 million metric tonnes in 2025-26.

More than Rs 6,800 crore is being invested in waterways across the Northeast, including the development of National Waterway-2, a ship repair facility at Pandu and last-mile connectivity to Pandu Port.

"Every ton we move on the river means less fuel burnt and fewer trucks on the highway," Sonowal said.

He added that India is working with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar to strengthen regional waterway connectivity.

The voyage involves the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd, Cochin Bunkers Pvt Ltd and partners in Bangladesh.

Assam ministers Charan Boro, Bimal Borah and Sushanta Borgohain attended the event, along with Rajya Sabha member Terash Gowalla. State legislators, including Prasanta Phukan, MLA from Dibrugarh LAC, and Chakradhar Gogoi, MLA from Khowang LAC, were also present.

IWAI Chief Engineer A.K. Bansal and APCL Chairman Bikul Ch. Deka, along with officials from APCL, IWAI and the Assam government, attended the event marking the revival of Dibrugarh's river-based international cargo connectivity.