Big drop in Indian goods arrival by train

Transportation of goods from India to Bangladesh via freight trains declined by a large extent last fiscal year, mainly due to a dollar crisis and non-availability of necessary locomotives and staff. 

Bangladesh Railway (BR) transported 23.15 lakh tonnes of goods from the neighbouring country in fiscal year 2022-23, which is 52.74 percent less than that in the previous year.

The BR transported 35.35 lakh tonnes in 2021-22, shows BR data.

With the decline in goods transportation, the BR's income from cross-border trade also saw a sharp fall last year.

The BR earned Tk 117.63 crore from transporting goods from India last fiscal year, which was Tk 174.33 crore in fiscal year 2021-22, meaning its income had slumped by 48.20 percent, shows the data.

The state-run transport agency operated 82 trains every month on an average last year whereas it was 133 in the previous year, shows data.

Last year, the BR brought goods from India through five interchange stations, namely Benapole, Darshana, Rohanpur, Birol and Chilahati.

The BR mainly brings rice, wheat, stone and boulder, fly ash and poultry feed.

Transportation of goods from India saw a sharp rise in 2020-21 and 2021-22 amidst the Covid outbreak. The BR earned Tk 176.74 crore by transporting 36.93 lakh tonnes of goods in 2021-22, setting a record.

The BR officials and importers said import of goods by trains from India was more cost-effective than carrying them by trucks. In addition, carrying goods via trains takes less time than trucks, making it popular.

As the operation of passenger trains has remained suspended for a long time amidst the pandemic, the BR was able to use the workforce and locomotives to run freight trains in 2020-21 and 2021-22, which sharply increased its income, said a BR official.

But last year, the BR could not provide enough locomotives and staff for importing goods, the official told this correspondent while wishing anonymity.

Asim Kumar Talukder, general manager (west) of the BR, however, said the main reason behind the fall was for businesspeople being unable to open letters of credit due to a dollar crisis last fiscal year.