Bangladesh to get 20 locomotives from India today

India will hand over 20 "slightly used" broad gauge locomotives to Bangladesh today as a grant to mitigate the longstanding locomotive crisis of Bangladesh.

Railways ministers of both countries will attend the handing over ceremony virtually at 4:00pm, said officials of Bangladesh Ministry of Railways.

India has agreed to provide the rail engines during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in September last year.

This is the second time in three years that India is providing locomotives to Bangladesh following requests by Bangladesh Railway.

The neighbouring country had sent 10 "slightly used" locomotives in July 2020 as grant following a proposal from BR to "hire" or "get as courtesy" 20 railway engines.

According to a latest document from BR, the state-run transport agency has 171-metre gauge locomotives, of which 82 percent are old or "overaged".

Meanwhile, of its 92 broad-gauge locomotives, 55 percent are "overaged".