The railways in Bangladesh are planning big for the Dhaka-Chittagong freight transport and plan to run more container trains on this major trade and transport artery of, which is expected to benefit Dhaka-based apparel makers.
According to media reports, the Chief Planning Officer of the Bangladesh Railway SM Salimullah Bahar has claimed they had prepared the plan focusing on freight train frequency on the route, while adding that ‘this will boost rail revenue, ease pressure on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, and make cargo transport on the route easier and cheaper’.
Reports further added railway transport is substantially cheaper and quicker for shippers and to reach the port city of Chittagong from Dhaka, a truck takes 10-16 hours while freight trains take 10.5-12 hours in comparison while transportation cost using truck for carrying freight comes to around US $ 200-US $ 300 for each container while train charges are only around US $ 150-US $ 260.
Meanwhile, speaking to the media, former President of the garment makers’ body of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Md Fazlul Hoque, reportedly underlined rail officials also need to change their attitude towards the service-seekers alongside new investments, even as he said: “If it takes six hours to release containers from rail depots due to red tape, businessmen will not go for train services.”
