Titagarh Wagons is keen to build portable steel bridges in Bangladesh. The company is India’s leading private railway wagon manufacturing company. It has recently submitted an expression of interest to the Board of Investment (BOI) of Bangladesh in this regard. Sources in BOI said that they received the proposal of Titagarh early last week.    After scrutinising the details, the decision for registration will be taken, the sourced added. Bangladesh, on an average, imports 400 to 500 metres of portable bridges every other year as it does not produce steel suitable for steel-made bridges. In 2009, Japan had provided Bangladesh materials for constructing 92 portable steel bridge projects at 68 upazilas and 17 districts in three phases.    

It gave financial assistance for improving the road communication in riverine and low-lying areas of the country through constructing portable steel bridges.  Under the first phase (1994-1996), 74 portable steel bridges were constructed while 80 were constructed in the second phase (2000-2003).    

For the third phase (2005-2007), a total of 1990 million Japanese yen was granted. Titagarh Wagons has also bagged two flat car wagons and brake van orders from Bangladesh worth $12m this year.