Why in News?
A barge carrying 540 metric tonnes of methanol left Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh, Assam, for Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 5 October 2026. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the vessel DLB Patkai, pushed by the tug Kushal Konwar. The shipment is significant as the first cargo movement from upper Assam to a foreign port since Independence in 1947.
About the Cargo Movement
The methanol, produced by Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. (APCL) at Namrup, is being transported to Pangaon Port in Dhaka. The vessel will travel around 768 km along National Waterway-2 (NW-2) on the Brahmaputra to the India-Bangladesh border and then continue through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR). The total journey from Bogibeel to Narayanganj in Dhaka is approximately 1,300 km.
The voyage is being viewed as a test of the commercial viability of the Brahmaputra as a freight corridor connecting the Northeast with international markets. Inland waterways can provide an alternative mode of transport for bulk cargo and potentially improve connectivity between the northeastern region and neighbouring countries.
Historical Significance of Dibrugarh
Dibrugarh was once an important river port in eastern India. Government steamers reached the town from Calcutta (now Kolkata) by 1856. The Dibru-Sadiya Railway began operating from the Dibrugarh steamer ghat in 1882. By 1913, steamers were travelling daily up the Brahmaputra to Dibrugarh, carrying commodities such as tea and timber, along with passengers.
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