LAHORE: Bangladesh has expressed keen interest in procuring freight wagons and passenger coaches after Pakistan offered the rolling stock at prices cheaper than those in other countries.

A two-member delegation, headed by a senior Bangladeshi official, has also visited the Pakistan Railways (PR) carriage factory in Islamabad and the Mughalpura Workshop in Lahore to receive a briefing from the railway authorities and to witness the rolling stock manufacturing process, Dawn has learnt.

According to the Lahore-based PR authorities, Mr Farhad Islam, Bangladesh’s Secretary for International Organisations and Consular Affairs and Designate D-8 Commissioner and Mohammad Iqbal Hussain Khan, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan, visited the Mughalpura workshop on Friday.

Muhammad Nasir Khalili, Chief Mechanical Engineer (Carriage and Wagons), briefed the delegation on the overall functioning, technical capabilities, and ongoing projects of the PR’s workshops. A short documentary highlighting the workshops’ operational and working strengths was also shown to the guests.

Pakistan Railways offers attractive prices to seal export deal

Mr Khalili stated that Pakistan and Bangladesh are brotherly countries sharing a common history, culture, and heritage, and that there exists immense potential for cooperation between the two nations, particularly in the railway sector.

The delegation was subsequently given a detailed tour of the Mughalpura Locomotive Workshop, where they were briefed on the various stages of locomotive maintenance, rehabilitation, and manufacturing.

The diplomats termed their visit informative, productive, and encouraging, and appreciated the technical expertise and professional competence of Pakistan Railways. “Our visit stands as a clear testament to the strengthening bonds of friendship and cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh,” said Mr Islam.

On the other hand, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi has expressed his resolve to advance railway-to-railway cooperation between the two countries, emphasising that such collaboration can yield substantial benefits.

PR is currently supplying coaches and wagons to four countries with broad-gauge rail networks — Sri Lanka, Nepal, Chile and Argentina. ““It reflects that we have achieved modern, indigenous manufacturing capability for coaches and wagons,” the minister said in a statement.

In the next phase, according to Mr Khalili, the railway experts from Bangladesh will also visit Pakistan for a detailed technical evaluation.

In the 1980s, Pakistan Railways exported rolling stock to Bangladesh while it provided freight wagons to Sri Lanka in 1999 and 2000 and 2009.

In the current regional context, Pakistan is emerging as a suitable and cost-effective alternative to other international suppliers for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh was dealing with India regarding the provision of wagons and coaches. But now Dhaka has shown its interest in us for this purpose,” Mr Khalili told Dawn when contacted. He said the delegation also visited the Islamabad carriage factory a few days ago.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2026