Tata Nano car in Bangladesh

India's Tata Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car, will go on sale in Bangladesh tomorrow -- but with a price tag nearly triple what it is at home.

The least expensive no-frills Nano will cost Taka 599,000 ($7,900), said Abdul Matlub Ahmad, director of Nitol Motors -- Tata's sole distributor in Bangladesh.

That price compares with 141,000 Indian rupees ($2,870) for a basic Nano model in India.

"We are now taking orders -- initially we'll sell 3,000 Nano cars. We hope it will be a big hit in Bangladesh," Ahmad said, adding that the Nano's official launch would be in Dhaka on Saturday.

Both the Nano and other rival small cars produced by companies such as Maruti are significantly more expensive in Bangladesh as importers have to pay 132 percent tax on each car, he said.

"The price will come down once we start assembling the car here. If the car becomes popular in Bangladesh, Tata has a plan to manufacture the car locally," Ahmad said.