Staff Reporter :
In a move aimed at mitigating the shortage of passenger coaches and expediting services, the government has signed a contract with Indian firm RITES Limited for the purchase of 200 passenger coaches for Bangladesh Railway’s broad-gauge line.
The agreement was formalised at the Railway Bhaban in the capital.
The signing ceremony was attended by Railway Minister Md. Zillul Haque, Railway Secretary Humayun Kabir, Director-General Sardar Sahadat Ali, Chairman and Managing Director Rahul Mittal of RITES Limited, Sanjay Kumar Pankaj, Additional Member of the Indian Railways’ production unit, Head of the European Union Corporation Michel Creza, and other railway officials.
“We have a lot of problems with our carriages. Thank you for providing the carriages at this moment,” said Railway Minister Zillul Haque. He further noted the absence of a delivery timeline in the contract, emphasising its importance for planning. “If it is mentioned, it will be beneficial for us. We can plan accordingly. If two sets of carriages can be provided in the next two months, it will be good for us. The rest can be scheduled,” he added.
Minister Haque also expressed his frustration with the pace of the railway officials, stating, “The railway officials are slow. This is unfortunate for me. They think it will take five to six months. We will need more carriages.”
Railway Secretary Humayun Kabir highlighted the recent establishment of connectivity in the southern region, stating, “This will increase communication with the districts in the south with Dhaka. As a result, these passenger carriages will expedite rail communication.”
Director-General Sardar Sahadat Ali underscored the broader goals of the railway, saying, “The goal of the railway is to increase connectivity, establish railway connections in various parts of the country, and provide passenger services. This project will contribute significantly to that.”
It is known that the project will run from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2026. The project is being implemented with the funding of the Bangladesh government and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The total cost of the project will be Tk 12.98 thousand crore. Each carriage will cost Tk 6.49 crore. EIB will provide this, which will cover the material cost. Then, an additional 35 per cent VAT will have to be paid after the carriage is unloaded at the Chattogram port. The government of Bangladesh will bear the shipment cost which will be about Tk 303 crore.
According to the agreement, after the completion of all formalities, the handing over of the passenger carriages would be started after 20 months. All the passenger carriages would arrive within 36 months.
