India and Bangladesh have renewed the existing Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol. Under this protocol, vessels of both the countries will carry cargo on river routes till March 31, 2012. The agreement which was due to expire in the month of March this year was renewed for another year following a meeting of delegations led Shipping Secretary of India K. Mohandas and his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Mannan Howlader at Goa on Sunday. The two countries have also decided that the concerned authorities of the two countries will discuss and decide on the freight rates for cargo to be transported from Kolkatta to Akhaura land customs station via Ashuganj in Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh amended the IWTT protocol last year to include Ashuganj in Bangladesh and Silghat in India as ports of call to enhance bilateral trade by facilitating movement of goods through river routes. Following the amendment the number of ports of call for trade and transit between the two countries has increased to five. Apart from Ashuganj, Narayanganj, Mongla, Khulna and Sirajganj are the ports of call in Bangladesh while Kolkota, Haldia, Pandu and Karimganj are the ports of call in India in addition to Silghat.