Govt nods Tk4,964cr project to rehabilitate damaged rural roads, culverts
The project will rehabilitate 5,223km of rural roads and reconstruct 7,000 metres of bridges and culverts on a priority basis.
The government has approved a Tk4,963.67 crore project to rehabilitate and strengthen more than 5,200 kilometres of damaged rural roads across the country on a priority basis.
The "Rehabilitation and Strengthening of Rural Roads" project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the conference room of the National Economic Council in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar today (19 August).
State Minister for Planning Zonnayed Saki disclosed details of the approved projects at a press briefing after the meeting.
The project, scheduled for completion by 2030, aims to keep rural road infrastructure usable and improve connectivity to support economic activities in rural areas.
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Under the project, 5,223km of rural roads will be rehabilitated and 7,000 metres of severely damaged bridges and culverts will be reconstructed after surveys and priority assessments.
According to the project proposal, the Local Government Engineering Department oversees 410,530.94km of rural roads nationwide. Of these, 167,181.94km are currently paved, including 34,567.48km of upazila roads, 34,382.19km of union roads and 98,232.27km of village roads.
The total length of bridges and culverts on village roads stands at 219,971 metres.
Of the 98,232.27km of paved village roads, nearly 31,434.32km are currently damaged, according to the proposal.
The project is expected to preserve road infrastructure assets by reconstructing bridges and culverts, reduce accumulated rehabilitation needs and ensure safer and smoother transportation for all types of vehicles in rural areas.
The state minister said many roads across almost every upazila had not received proper maintenance for years after construction, leaving them severely damaged and making daily travel difficult for local people.
"After the new government took office, we realised the issue needed urgent attention. The large number of demi-official letters received from elected representatives also highlighted the extent of public suffering caused by damaged roads," he said.
Following surveys and assessments, roads where people faced the greatest difficulties were identified for rehabilitation on a priority basis, he added.
He said the prime minister had placed particular emphasis on ensuring sustainable maintenance after rehabilitation, as roads often deteriorate quickly because of inadequate long-term maintenance.
Saki said strengthening the institutional maintenance system and ensuring effective monitoring would therefore be crucial.
He also clarified that the project does not include construction of new infrastructure. Its main objective is to restore the functionality of existing infrastructure. Separate projects are being taken up for new bridges and other infrastructure.
The government will also investigate any irregularities involving the construction of bridges without roads, he said.
Saki said the project would help ease public suffering and restore rural connectivity quickly. Although implementation at an earlier stage could have reduced people's hardship, the government is now prioritising speedy execution.
At today's Ecnec meeting, a total of 10 projects costing Tk9,333.58 crore were approved.
Meanwhile, the government sent back two projects without approval.
One involved the proposed purchase of two product oil tankers with capacities ranging from 4,000 to 55,000 deadweight tonnes, at an estimated cost of Tk1,457.80 crore.
Saki said a Memorandum of Understanding had recently been signed during the prime minister's visit to China for the purchase of four similar vessels. To avoid duplication and overlapping projects, the government decided to reconsider the proposed purchase and bring the projects under a coordinated plan.
Another project, "Metro Dhaka Project: Goran-Charbari Retention Pond and Turag River Protection and Conservation", proposed by the Bangladesh Water Development Board under the Ministry of Water Resources, was also returned without approval. The project had an estimated cost of Tk567 crore.
The state minister said Ecnec assigned the principal secretary to the prime minister to prepare an integrated master plan for river and waterbody management in Dhaka.
The plan will cover the Turag and Buriganga rivers and associated water bodies to establish a coordinated water management framework for the capital.
