NEW DELHI, Feb 5, 2022 (BSS) - Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal today said that India-Bangladesh friendship is reaching new heights under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
 
   "Our friendship has evolved into a strategic partnership with multifaceted and deep collaboration in trade, investment, food security & technology," he said.
 
   Goyal was speaking after virtually flagging off an Indian vessel--MV Lal Bahadur Shastri-- carrying food grains from Patna to Pandu and unveiling of foundation stone for terminal at Kalughat (Bihar) today, an official statement said here.
 
   Describing the event as an another milestone and a testament to ever-growing friendship between India and Bangladesh, he said the pilot movement of food grains on vessel from Patna (Bihar) to Pandu (Guwahati) will open a new gate to the 'Gateway of North East' of India.
 
   "This first food grain movement will be an integrated IWT movement via National Waterway-1 (river Ganga), NW-97 (Sundarbans), Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route and NW-2 (river Brahmaputra),"he added.
 
   The minister, however, informed that two stretches of India-Bangladesh Protocol Waterways Route are being developed with the involvement of Rs 305 crores.
 
   The 2350 km long journey of the vessel will take 25-30 days and is expected to establish technical and commercial viability of Inland Waterways Trade (IWT) using these multiple waterways, the statement said.
 
   The IWT movement is also aimed at providing a fillip to North East Region's industrial development by opening up an alternate route for transportation of goods, it also said.