Govt takes multimodal transport plan for smooth and fast communication
The adviser said that due to a lack of skilled engineers in the country, foreign professionals are often brought in to build roads and railways.
Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan today (24 August) said the government has taken a multimodal transport plan, aiming to integrate all modes of transport — road, rail and waterways — based on suitability.
"Land acquisition is a costly process. We need to move away from this and give more importance to other modes of transport," he said while talking to reporters after inaugurating an 18-kilometre stretch of the 48-kilometre Dhaka Bypass Road — from Bhogra in Gazipur to Madanpur in Narayanganj—at the Bhogra Bypass area.
The adviser said that due to a lack of skilled engineers in the country, foreign professionals are often brought in to build roads and railways.
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"Yet, thousands of engineers graduate from BUET every year. We must reduce dependency on foreign experts and focus on developing skilled engineers within the country," he said.
Talking about the higher costs of road construction, the adviser said, "Our road construction costs are higher than in neighbouring countries, as corruption plays a significant role here. If we can curb corruption, construction costs can be reduced by 20% to 30%."
The 48-kilometre Dhaka Bypass project — stretching from Bhogra in Gazipur to Madanpur in Narayanganj — is being implemented under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
The Joydebpur-Debgram-Bhulta-Madanpur Road is being upgraded to a four-lane highway at a cost of around Tk3,500 crore. The project is being implemented under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Maintain (DBFOT) model.
The road connects major national highways, including the Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet, Purbachal Expressway, Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail routes.
