Bangladesh Railway (BR) has decided to transport sacrificial animals across the country to assist the Department of Livestock Services and cattle traders ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
However, BR has no plans to add special passenger train services for people going home during Eid.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said: “Cattle traders can easily transport sacrificial animals in cargo train wagons. We have set a charge of approximately Tk34,000 for each wagon to bring cattle to Dhaka and Chittagong from different parts of the country.”
“Each wagon can hold 16 or more heads of cattle. So each animal would cost only Tk2,000 or less for transportation which is the lowest compared to other modes of transport. However, charges will be finalized after evaluating demand for the service.”
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon at a Rail Bhaban press briefing in the capital.
He said: “We have taken the decision following a letter from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock to transport cattle amid the pandemic.”
Previously, animals were transported until 2008 between Dewanganj and Dhaka in four wheeled wagons. Cattle traders also used to transport cattle by cargo train from Chapainawabganj to Goalondo river port. There it was convenient for them to hire a boat to transport the animals to Dhaka.
Cattle traders mostly brought cattle from Chapainawabganj, Natore, Rajshahi, Pabna, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Meherpur, Kushtia, Chuadanga, Gaibandha, and Faridpur.
“Apart from Dhaka, traders can also transport cattle or goats from northern districts to Chittagong as we have a route between Gaibandha and Chittagong,” said the minister.
“As per our plan, we want to dedicate 25-30 wagons for transporting sacrificial cattle ahead of Eid-ul-Azha,'' he added.
Responding to a query he said it is yet to be settled when the service will be launched. “It will start once we get orders from cattle traders. If we get an order today, it will start from tomorrow as we have already completed our preparations,” the minister said.
No additional passenger train services for Eid
The Railway Minister said: “We have no plans to add more passenger trains for people going home during Eid. The government wants people to stay wherever they are to prevent the spread of coronavirus.”
Currently, there are 16 trains operating in each direction to various destinations across the country, with only 50% of the usual passenger load, to ensure social distancing.
