In a handing over ceremony held on Monday, 10 Broad Gauge locomotives were virtually flagged off to Bangladesh by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Indian Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal. The event was also attended by Indian Minister of State for Railways Shri Angadi Suresh. From the Bangladesh end, Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan and Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen received the locomotives on behalf of the Bangladesh government.
The handing over of these locomotives, under grant assistance from the Indian government, fulfills an important commitment made during the visit of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October 2019. In keeping with the requirements of Bangladesh Railway, the locomotives have been suitably modified by the Indian side. These locomotives will help handle the increasing volume of passengers and freight train operations in Bangladesh.
Speaking on the occasion, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar highlighted the depth of time-tested India-Bangladesh ties, based on mutual trust and respect. He expressed his pleasure that the Covid 19 pandemic had not slowed down the pace of bilateral cooperation and conveyed that he looked forward to more such milestones in the ongoing historic Mujib Borsho.
Indian Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal underscored the significance of railway cooperation in enhancing bilateral trade and connectivity and in further boosting the economic partnership between the two countries.
In recent times, India and Bangladesh have stepped up their railway cooperation in mitigating the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic, as trade via land border faced disruptions. Railway as a cost effective and environmental-friendly solution, has helped in transporting essential commodities across the border. Both sides saw the highest ever exchange of freight trains in the month of June. A total of 103 freight trains were utilized for carrying essential commodities and raw materials.
Recently, parcel and container train services have also commenced between India and Bangladesh. This is expected to significantly enhance the scope of bilateral trade.