New Delhi: “There are immense possibilities of trade among Bangladesh, Bhutan and India. The fruits of growing trade must be reaped by the most marginalized people on both sides of the border”, said Pankaj Anand, Director (Programme & Advocacy), and Oxfam India while speaking in a webinar.

The webinar on: “Indo-Bhutan-Bangladesh Consultation on Trade and Inland Waterways Navigation in the Brahmaputra Basin” was organised on 12 April 2021 by Oxfam India (OIN) in collaboration with Oxfam Bangladesh and CUTS International. The organisations are working together towards income augmentation of riparian communities by promoting trade through inland waterways under the regional programme Transboundary Rivers of South Asia supported by the Swedish government.

The webinar moderated by Bipul Chatterjee, Executive Director, CUTS Internationalwas aimed to capture the issues of traders, understand the implications of COVID-19on trade and inland navigation, connect the traders and the government officials and explore the spaces for women in transboundary trade through rivers. More than 60 participants from Bangladesh, India and Bhutan attended the webinar.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Shah Mohammad Tanvir Monsur, Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner, Guwahati, Assam stressed that the trade basket should be enhanced and extended. “Making trade possible and making trade happen are two different things. We need to develop the supply chain further by analyzing the complementarity of the markets”, he added.

Dorji Norbu, Tashi Wangmo Consultancy from Gelephu, Bhutan pointed out the need for infrastructure development at Jogighopa and Dhubri river ports in terms of dredging, clamshell cranes, steel jetty and full-fledged customs and terminal facilities. He argued for extending ports-of-calls status to Chittagong, Pyra and Mongla ports and also shared that with the development of waterways other commodities like fruits and vegetables can also be traded with Bangladesh.

Highlighting the developmental interventions of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI),  A.K. Bansal, Director (Logistics & Traffic) explained the Standard Operating Procedures and protocols that IWAI was developing with their counterparts across the border to make inland waterways easier to navigate and trade upon. He added that Industry should take advantage of waterways and shift a share of the cargo to inland waterways. Inland waterways have provided a safe means of transport during COVID-19 even other modes of transport could not be used due to border closure.

SharmilaKhanam, Deputy Director, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authorityexplained the initiations and plans of the authority and how trade via waterways sustained even during COVID.

While responding to the remarks of Bansal and Sharmila, Bipul opined that traders should be made aware of the existing infrastructure and regulations so that they can make use of these facilities.

Chan Mia, Member of Export & Import Business Association, Rowmari, Bangladesh andAshraf Ali, Import & Export Association Member, South Salmara-Mankachar, India provided traders’ perspective from India and Bangladesh. The two border-based traders opined that the inclusion ofagricultural products and handicrafts manufactured by local artisans, especially women, in the existing trade framework for export will augment the livelihood of local riparian communities. They also requested the government officials to improve the current infrastructure to support the expansion of trade through inland navigation.

In her concluding remarks Vinuthna Patibandla, Programme Officer, Oxfam said that Oxfam and CUTS will take forward the concerns expressed by the traders to the competent authorities in Bangladesh, Bhutan and India.