Mongla, Oct 28 (V7N) – A Panama-flagged commercial vessel carrying 8,250 metric tonnes of molasses, locally known as chitagur, berthed at Jetty No. 9 of Mongla Port on Tuesday, bringing another shipment of the livestock feed ingredient into Bangladesh.
The vessel, MV Hai Hong, arrived from Probolinggo Port in Indonesia at around noon. The molasses was scheduled to be transferred to storage tanks from the afternoon before being transported by rail to different destinations in northern Bangladesh.
Nabil Islam, executive director of Starpat Sea Trade Ltd, the vessel’s local shipping agent, confirmed the arrival and said this was the fourth shipment of molasses to arrive directly at Mongla Port from abroad.
According to him, direct imports of molasses through Mongla began in 2024. The product is in strong demand across northern Bangladesh, where it is widely used as an ingredient in livestock feed.
Although Bangladesh has sugar mills that produce molasses as a by-product of sugar processing, domestic supplies are insufficient to meet demand, making imports necessary.
Draft Restrictions Complicate Shipments
Islam said a shortage of navigable depth in Mongla Port had made it difficult to bring in larger vessels carrying bulk cargo. As a result, importers had to wait and arrange a smaller vessel to transport the latest shipment.
He said improving and maintaining the port’s navigability through regular dredging would enable larger vessels to call at Mongla, potentially making cargo transportation more efficient.
The arrival highlights Mongla Port’s role in handling imported agricultural and livestock feed ingredients for distribution across Bangladesh.
Once unloading and storage are completed, the molasses shipment is expected to be transported by rail to various areas in the country’s northern region, where demand for the product remains high.
END/AHS/SMA/
