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Bangladesh receives first Indian parcel train with chilli

July 14, 2020 00:00:00


Bangladesh received the first-ever Indian parcel train at Benapole on Monday as it carried 384 tonnes of dry chilli from Andhra Pradesh state of India, reports BSS.

The Special Parcel Express (SPE) train consisting of 16 parcel vans travelled a distance over 1,372 kilometres from Reddipalem in Guntur of Andhra, known as a major chilli cultivating region, to Benapole, a press release of Indian High Commission said.

It mentioned that trade between India and Bangladesh had been affected as the transport services between the two countries got disrupted due to Covid-19-related restrictions since March last.

"To minimise the supply chain disruption, earlier the High Commission of India had proposed to the Bangladesh Railways to facilitate parcel train service between India and Bangladesh," the release said.

The high commission expected that the 'Parcel Train Service' would be beneficial in promoting trade between both the countries while the transportation cost by railways works out to be cheaper compared to road transport.

Officials familiar with bilateral trade issues said generally dry or red chillies were exported to Bangladesh in smaller quantity by road which used to cost Tk 7,910 per tonne while the product's railway transportation would cost Tk 5,207.


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