Bangladesh Railway will launch 'Mango Special Trains' on May 22 to transport  mangoes from different parts of the country to the capital Dhaka for the convenience of farmers and at low fares.

The Railway sources said mangoes from Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj would be brought in Dhaka this year by special trains.

A pair of Mango Special Trains will arrive in Dhaka via Rohonpur-Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi while another pair of special trains will leave Dhaka for Rohonpur via Rajshahi.

These special trains, belonging to the Western Zone of Railway, will also carry vegetables.

Ashim Kumar Talukder, general manager of Western Railway, said the Mango Special Trains will also be introduced this year like the previous years to transport mangoes at low fares. The trains are supposed to be launched between May 22 and May 25 next. "We'll determine the time-tables after consulting with farmers about their requirements," he said.

He said since the 'Guti' variety of mango has less demand among customers in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Railway is likely to start operating the trains after May 20 when harvesting of sweet mangoes like 'Gopalbhog' will begin. "We'll probably start operating the trains in between May 22 and May 25," he said.

Asked about the reasons for transporting mangoes on trains, he said the trains will transport somewhat less mangoes so that the mangoes are not rotten by the time of carrying to Dhaka.

When asked about the fare of each kilogram of mango, he said generally there will be no change in the train fare and time-table. It will be like previous years. However, a meeting will be held before trains are operated.