Bangladesh Railway (BR) is set to receive 10 broad-gauge locomotives from India as a grant, which will help facilitate passenger and cargo movement through rail in the country.
A ceremony marking the handover of the locomotive will be held at Darsana-Gede interchange point tomorrow (Monday).
The railways and foreign ministers of Bangladesh and India will join the event through video conference. Officials from the Pakshi railway office will receive the locomotives from the Indian Railway (IR) officials.
BR officials said India's commitment to granting 10 locomotives came following the initiatives, taken during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India, to take lease of or hire a number of locomotives to overcome the shortage of locomotives.
In line with the joint statement signed by the two prime ministers during the visit, the Indian side took the decision to provide 10 locomotives to the BR as a grant.
A memorandum of understanding in this regard was signed between the BR and the Indian Railway on July 21 last.
BR officials said all these locomotives were commissioned during the period from 2012 and 2015.
The state-owned train operator, BR, has been facing shortage of locomotives for long as most of the rail engines in its fleet are age-old and nearing the end of their economic life.
As the BR has taken up several projects to purchase more locomotives, it expects to receive 70 locomotives from the US and South Korea next year.
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