Dhaka, May 10 -- The government is set to procure 30 railway engines with financial support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to strengthen the fleet of Bangladesh Railway (BR), officials said on Saturday.

The China-based lender has assured funding for the initiative aimed at addressing the shortage of locomotives for passenger and freight transportation across the country.

"We have taken the initiative to purchase new engines as the state-run Bangladesh Railway lacks adequate locomotives to transport passengers and goods," said a senior official of the Ministry of Railways.

Under the plan, 30 diesel-electric locomotives for metre-gauge tracks will be procured at an estimated cost of Tk 28.28 billion. Of the total, T...