Commencing on June 10, the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway will conduct a’special mango train’ on the Chapainawabganj-Dhaka line via Rajshahi for the seventh time in a row.
This time, the special train will leave the Rohanpur railway station at 4 p.m. and arrive in Dhaka at 2:15 a.m., stopping at 14 stations along the Padma Bridge. It will provide low-cost, efficient transportation of mangoes.
The customized mango train, which will consist of six luggage trucks, can transport 172.98 tonnes of mangoes.
Carrying a kilogram of mango from Rajshahi to Dhaka will cost you Taka 1.43, and the trip from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka will cost you Taka 1.48.
At a seminar today titled “Mango transportation to different districts from Rajshahi division through railway,” representatives from the Railway West Zone disclosed this information.
The Rajshahi division commissioner office hosted the seminar in its conference hall with funding from the railway ministry. Participants discussed and came up with ideas for how to successfully transport mangoes from the area by train.
Dr. Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir, the Divisional Commissioner, presided over the seminar as chief guest, Railway Minister Zillul Hakim.
Speakers included Prof. Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, MP; Abul Kalam, MP; Railway Secretary Dr. Humayun Kabir; Director General of Bangladesh Railway Sarder Shahadat Ali; General Manager of Bangladesh Railway’s West Zone Asim Kumar Talukder; Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Biplob Bijoy Talukder; and Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police of Rajshahi Range Saiful Islam.
The conference was informed that during the last four years since 2020, the railway has carried 39,95,798 kilograms of mangoes, generating revenue of roughly Taka 46,29,140.
Sharing their views, mango farmers, traders, entrepreneurs and exporters unequivocally called for solving the existing problems related to transportation of mangoes through railway to make the venture popular.
Railway Minister Zillul Hakim urged the mango traders, businessmen and exporters to transport their mangoes to different areas from the Rajshahi region through railway as its low-cost and safe.
“We are working relentlessly to make the railway eligible for mango transportation as per directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he said, adding that full-length support of all stakeholders is needed to this end.
Minister Zillul Hakim promised that all issues pertaining to the current challenges of using the railway to transport mangoes will be resolved in order to increase the popularity of this mode of transportation.
Additionally, he stated that measures have been taken to execute memorandums of understanding with some courier services about the railway conveyance of mangos.
