On October 5, 2026, a barge named DLB Patkai carrying 540 metric tonnes of methanol departed from Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh for Bangladesh, marking the first commercial cargo movement from Upper Assam to a foreign port since Independence. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who attended virtually, flagged off the vessel. This shipment comes nearly 70 years after operations at Dibrugarh’s river ghat ceased.
The methanol originated from Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. in Namrup and is destined for Pangaon Port in Dhaka. The barge will navigate approximately 768 km along National Waterway-2 on the Brahmaputra before reaching the Indo-Bangladesh border and proceeding via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route. The vessel’s journey involved collaboration with the Inland Waterways Authority of India, state-owned companies, and Bangladeshi partners.
Sonowal emphasized that this shipment signals a revival of commercial shipping from Dibrugarh and highlighted the environmental benefits of transporting cargo via water, which can reduce fuel consumption and decrease reliance on trucks. This movement adds to previous significant river transport activities and enhances cross-border waterway connectivity between India’s Northeast and Bangladesh.
