India to defer world's longest river cruise via Bangladesh amid political unrest

India will defer running the world's longest river cruise-from Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Dhaka-till the political situation improves in strife-stricken Bangladesh.

Officials aware of developments said adverse travel advisories against Bangladesh amid sustained unrest since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government last August has dampened interest in foreign tourists-the key target audience for the cruise. The cruise runs on the India-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route stretching 3,200 kilometres over a span of 50 days.

Started in January 2023, the cruise ferried about 60 passengers till date. The maiden voyage ferried 36 tourists from Switzerland over 27 river systems across the two nations. The cruise connected Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam via Bangladesh. It is currently accepting bookings only for domestic voyages between Varanasi and Kolkata. "Cruise will resume only after elections and political stability in Bangladesh," said an official aware of the plans.

"Cargo movement on the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route is happening continuously," a senior official told ET adding that no issue has been faced so far.

Over 4.88 lakh metric tonne cargo moved along the IBP route in April 2025, up from 4.28 lakh metric tonne in March this year. But passenger movement is restricted. While passenger services through Bangladesh are at a standstill, cargo operations are operational albeit at reduced volume.

"Cargo movement on the IBP route is happening continuously," a senior official said.