After delay, BR to launch 'mango special train' June 8

With almost half of the season gone, Bangladesh Railway has decided to launch a special train service to transport mango from June 8 from Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi to Dhaka.

In 2020, the government began the "mango special train" to help growers' transporting their goods amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the service may run only for two weeks as BR has to operate "Cattle Special Train" ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha, raising questions about the feasibility of the service.

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan will inaugurate the "mango special train" service at Chapainawabganj Railway Station on June 8, Asim Kumar Talukder, general manager (west) of BR, told The Daily Star today.

One train will be operated every day from Chapainawabganj at 4:00pm and will take mangos from Rohanpur, Rajshahi, Arani, Abdulpur and Ishwari stations, he said.

However, they will allow mangos from other stations too if a large amount of the fruit is pre-booked from those stations, he added.

To transport a kg of mango, one has to pay Tk 1.3, he added.

The mango session in Chapainawabganj started in the third week of May this year and will continue till mid-July, while mango harvesting in Rajshahi formally started on May 4 and will get momentum from May 15, reports our local correspondents.

On May 16, Deputy Commissioner of Chapainawabganj AKM Galiv Khan said BR will launch Mango Special Train from May 20.

Asked about the delay, a top BR official, requesting anonymity, a number of important issues including inauguration of Chilahati Express by PM on June 4, activities related to the handover ceremony of 20 Indian locomotives on May 23, left little time for launching the service this year.