Teknaf port link to open seamless Indo-Bangla trade corridor from Tripura: Sonowal

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said that the Sittwe Port in Myanmar and the Kaladan Project will immensely benefit Tripura by significantly reducing transportation time and logistics costs. The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, a result of the India-Myanmar Friendship Treaty, is a strategic initiative to enhance connectivity between India’s Northeast and Myanmar. It is set to be fully operational by 2027.

He also informed that, as per the Inland Water Transport (IWT) plan, Tripura would be connected with the Teknaf Port of Bangladesh. Goods from Kolkata to Sittwe Port can be shipped to Teknaf Port, Bangladesh, which is just 60 nautical miles from Sittwe. From Teknaf Port, goods can be transported by road to Sabroom, which is 300 km away.

“From Sittwe, Myanmar, to Sabroom, Tripura, goods from Kolkata to Sittwe Port can be shipped to Teknaf Port, Bangladesh, which is just 60 nautical miles from Sittwe. From Teknaf Port, goods can be transported by road to Sabroom, which is 300 km away. Sabroom has an integrated customs border between Bangladesh and Tripura. Sittwe Port and the Kaladan Project will immensely benefit Tripura by significantly reducing transportation time and logistics costs. Major export cargo from Sittwe Port includes rice, timber, fish and seafood, petroleum products, and garments and textiles. Major import cargo to Sittwe Port includes construction materials such as cement, steel, bricks, and others,” he said.

The Union Minister added that efforts are underway to expand IWT infrastructure in Tripura and promote water-based tourism and the operationalisation of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) offers new trade routes that bypass the Siliguri Corridor, strengthening regional connectivity and aligning with the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.