Bangladesh Railway (BR) will purchase 420 broad gauge wagons from India at a cost of Tk2.31 billion, aiming to increase its goods transportation capacity.
The wagons to be bought with money from Asian Development Bank will be of steel body and high-speed capacity and have an automatic air-breaking system.
Those are expected to be safe and able to speedily transport normal and special goods, including food grains, fertilisers, stone and timber.
To this effect, the BR signed a contract with an Indian company named Hindustan Engineering and Industries Limited at a function at the Rail Bhaban in presence of Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon.
Railway Secretary Mohammad Humayun Kabir and BR Director General Dhirendranath Mazumder were present.
Project Director Mohammad Mizanur Rahman and contractor firm's vice president Prodip Guha signed the deal on behalf of their respective sides.
On this occasion, the Railways Minister attributed overall development of the railway sector to the sustainable development of the country, saying the BR was inherited from the railway system of undivided India.
He said the government has taken various projects taking into consideration establishing the railway network throughout the country in parallel with the road, river and sea routes.
The minister said that initiatives were also taken to expand rail link with the neighbouring countries for establishing regional and domestic rail communications.
