After two years and eight months of signing the transit agreement and protocol, the first cargo shipment under the Bangladesh-Bhutan transit arrangement has departed from Chattogram Port. The consignment, consisting of 6,530 kilograms of goods including shampoo, chocolate, juice, and palm fruit imported from Thailand, left the port by road on Wednesday night. The shipment will travel through the Burimari land port, enter India via Changrabandha, and reach Bhutan via Siliguri, covering a total distance of 684 kilometers. Bangladesh earned Tk 101,713 in port charges and duties from this trial run. Chattogram Port Secretary Omar Faruk confirmed that the trial aims to identify and resolve any logistical or procedural issues before regular operations begin. Bhutan, a landlocked country previously reliant on India’s Kolkata and Haldia ports, seeks to diversify its trade routes and reduce costs through this new corridor. The initiative follows Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering’s recent visit to Bangladesh, which accelerated the trial process.