Business Desk :
Pran-RFL Group on Tuesday exported the first ever consignment of food products to India using inland waterways under the protocol on inland transit and trade, marking the golden jubilee of independence of Bangladesh.
A Bangladeshi barge carrying Pran’s food products left for Kolkata after sailing from Pran Industrial Park, Palash, Narsingdi, reads a press release.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, state minister for Shipping, inaugurated the new opportunity of the export via inland waterways as the chief guest on Tuesday at the park premises.
The new opportunity of the export initiative has been taken by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). Pran Group is taking the opportunity to be a part of history to become the first exporter of food items through waterways.
The vessel with 40000 cartons of Pran Litchi Drink, has started its journey from the Pran Industrial Park on March 16 which will reach Kolkata after completing around 710 km river route journey. If the export of the same amount of product has happened through land port, a total of 40 tracks are needed for this.
As a result, the opportunity of export using waterways will ease pressure on the road and will increase the export of Bangladeshi products in India. Therefore, it will be possible to export huge quantities of products easily at low cost without hassle.
Addressing the programme, the State Minister for Shipping said,”The inauguration of export through waterways is not only the matter of pride to Bangladeshis, but also for all Bengali people who are living around the world. Our honorable prime minister gave us the direction to enhance trade using waterways. Our ministry is working to increase river routes and to restore the navigability of the river. We hope many companies will be formed in our country like the Pran-RFL group and the country’s economy will move forward.”
