At long last MV Harbour 1, which was scheduled to set sail for Krishnapatnam Port of Chennai, India from Chittagong Port on March 17, left for India yesterday morning.
The Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan inaugurated container vessel service between the two countries at New Mooring Container Terminal at Chittagong Port on March 15.
The feeder vessel could not leave Chittagong Port on March 17 as the desired numbers of empty containers were not booked. Later, the vessel was scheduled again for March 21.
However, the voyage was again got delayed as the crane rope used for loading containers was torn.
Sirajur Rahman, chief executive officer of Neepa Paribahan Ltd, said : “The vessel will reach Krishnapatnam Port of Chennai, India on March 27 and set sail for Bangladesh on March 28,” said the CEO of Neepa Paribahan Ltd, a family firm of ruling party lawmaker Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury.
The MV Harbour 1 is a multipurpose container vessel built by Western Marine Shipyard Ltd.
The 82-metre long vessel is the first vessel which obtained permission from departments of shipping of Bangladesh and India to operate under the Coastal Shipping Agreement.
Under the agreement, the vessel will call at coastal ports of Kolkata, Haldia, Pradip, Vishakhapatnam, Kakinada, Krishnapatnam and Chennai in India while ports of call in Bangladesh are Chittagong, Pangaon ICT, Narayanganj, Ashuganj, Paira, Khulna and Mongla.
Bangladesh usually imports onion, rice, lentils, cotton, industrial raw materials and machinery from India.
While addressing as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony on March 15, the minister had expressed his optimism that the newly launched bilateral coastal shipping service would boost trade between the two neigbouring countries by reducing freight time and cost and easing immense pressure on land ports.