Jumbangla Desk: For the first time after independence, commercial communication between Bangladesh and Pakistan by sea has started. A container ship carrying goods from Karachi arrived at Chittagong port on Wednesday (November 13).

A statement from the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka said that a direct cargo ship from Karachi has arrived at Chittagong Port, the first direct sea link between the two countries. This direct route is expected to further simplify the supply chain and reduce time in transit of goods.

However, the trade between the two countries is less than billion dollars. Businessmen say that Bangladesh's trade with Pakistan has not created a situation to start container shipping services directly. To understand the issue, the picture of Bangladesh's bilateral trade with Pakistan in the financial year 2023-24 is highlighted from the report of Prothom Alo.

According to the National Board of Revenue (NBR), goods worth 744 million dollars were imported from Pakistan last financial year. Out of this, the raw material of the export-oriented industry, yarn-cloth and prepared leather, was 79 percent or 59 million dollars. Apart from this, the raw materials of cement industry, clinker, fruits, dry goods and girls' three-pieces have been imported. At the same time, products worth 6.24 million dollars were exported to Pakistan. Exports include raw jute, medicines, hydrogen peroxide, tea and ready-made garments.

Total imports from Pakistan in the last financial year were 1.6 lakh tonnes, of which less than 3 lakh tonnes were brought in containers. Shipping traders say that Pakistan does not import more than one-and-a-half thousand containers of goods per month, with which a shipping service can be started.

According to Bangladesh Bank, the highest trade with Pakistan in terms of import expenditure was in FY 2021-22. At that time, the cost of importing goods from Pakistan was 800 million dollars.

Why is the direct shipping service started even if the trade is reduced now? To this question, the businessmen said that after the political change on August 5, the restrictions on the import of goods with Pakistan have been relaxed. Earlier, the country's products were subjected to 100% manual inspection after reaching the Chittagong port. NBR has withdrawn it in a notification on August 29. This new service has been launched in the hope that imports may increase in the future.

President of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Syed Mohammad Arif said, 'Our trade with Pakistan is not much. The easing of import restrictions may lead to an increase, hence this service may be launched. Although this is the first time the service of container ships, general cargo ships have been plying irregularly with the ports of the two countries.

Who started it?

According to shipping sources, Dubai-based container ship management company 'Feeder Lines DMCC' has launched this new service with a container ship. According to the company's website, the group has business with Karachi, Pakistan.

Regency Lines Limited, a subsidiary of Karnaphuli Limited in Bangladesh, has been added as the local representative of this company in Bangladesh. It is the family company of former Awami League minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury. When contacted on the mobile phone of the executive director of the group, Anis Ud Daula, his opinion was not known as he did not pick up the phone.

However, an official of the group said that the service of this new container ship is not limited only to Pakistan- Bangladesh . Four more countries will also import and export goods from ports in Indonesia, Malaysia, India and the United Arab Emirates. It will take 38 days to complete the journey in these six countries. That is, it will take 76 days to complete the entire journey including bringing and taking goods. So far this service is provided by a vessel named 'MV Yuan Jian Fa Zhong'.

Port Secretary. Omar Farooq said, "MV Yuan Xian Fa Zhong" ship imported 370 single containers at Chittagong port on Tuesday. 289 single containers were taken from Chittagong port. A cargo container was one of them. The rest are all empty containers.

However, the details of what products have come from Pakistan are not known. According to the data of the port, the goods imported in the first voyage of this shipping service of six countries were mainly from Pakistan. The goods were exported in only one container, which was also destined for Port Kelang, Malaysia.