, Oct. 6 -- A cargo barge carrying 540 metric tonnes of methanol departed from the Bogibeel terminal on the Brahmaputra River in Assam's Dibrugarh for Dhaka on Monday, marking the first cargo shipment from Upper Assam to a foreign port since India gained independence in 1947.

The voyage comes nearly seven decades after Dibrugarh's historic river ghat ceased operations.

Indian Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal formally flagged off the vessel at a ceremony attended by several ministers, MPs and MLAs.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the programme virtually.

The methanol, manufactured by state-owned Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. (APCL) at Namrup, is being transported to Pangaon Port in Dhaka,...