Bangladesh Railway (BR) will purchase 125 luggage vans from China to carry agricultural products across different parts of the country.
To this effect, Md Mizanur Rahman, project director of Rolling Stocks Operations Improvement on behalf of Bangladesh signed a deal with Deputy General Manager Young Bing of Sintec-Railtec-Jinjin, a Chinese company, on Monday.
Asian development Bank (ADB) will finance the procurement.
Under the deal, Sintec-Railtec-Jinjin will provide 75 meter gauge vans and 50 broad gauge vans with a cost of 358.39 crore taka.
Bangladesh will start recieving the luggage vans within 20 months of string deal and all the luggage vans will be received by 27 months of the date of signing deal.
Addressing the occasion, Rail Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said, “During the coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister instructed us to take measures to carry agricultural products by luggage vans, thus we are taking the initiative. Thinking of carrying agricultural products by luggage van was not active in our mind but we introduce the luggage van after being instructed by prime minister.”
He said, “We will receive first batch of luggage van within 20 months of signing the deal and full volume will be received by 27 months of the time of striking the deal. Warranty period of the luggage van has been fixed for two years.”
Detailing about ferrying mango by train he said, “We will be able to carry mango by train in future from other places of the country. Farmers will get fair price if agricultural products are carried by luggage van and at the same time consumers will also able to buy products in due price which will benefit buyers and sellers both.”
Director General of Bangladesh Railway Md Shamsuzzaman said, “Under the deal, out of 50 broad gauge luggage vans 12 will be refrigerated and of the 75 meter gauge luggage vans 16 will be refrigerated.
There are some 10 broad gauge and 35 meter gauge luggage vans in BR which are very old, he said.
sh/zn
