Bangladesh, Oct. 21 -- Bangladesh's rail-based container logistics is facing an uncomfortable contradiction. On the eastern network, a shortage of serviceable metre-gauge locomotives is disrupting the established Chattogram-Dhaka container service. Meanwhile, substantial investment in broad-gauge rail connectivity across the Padma Bridge and towards Mongla Port has yet to produce a regular container freight service. This is more than a railway operating problem. It raises a national logistics question: can Bangladesh use infrastructure already built to create a second reliable rail-linked maritime gateway for Dhaka and surrounding industries?

The urgency is difficult to ignore. An investigation published by a local daily on October 15 r...