Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has announced that the government has decided to introduce electric traction on major railway routes to reduce travel time and ensure a safe, environment-friendly communication system.
Tarique shared these plans in a written response during the question-and-answer session of the National Parliament’s budget session on Wednesday afternoon. The responses were tabled during the session, which was presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.
Responding to a query from Cumilla-10 Member of Parliament Md Mobasher Alam Bhuiyan, regarding the government’s plans to improve road and rail communication, Tarique said his administration’s election manifesto prioritises the advancement of these sectors.
The prime minister detailed plans to gradually establish expressway grids on national highways and develop a multimodal transport system to alleviate pressure on roads.
To ensure the longevity of these routes, an axle load control system and smart monitoring will be implemented to manage overloading on all categories of highways. Furthermore, road safety measures will be enforced to prevent accidents.
To reduce the pressure on Dhaka, the government plans to create a ring road and radial road network. Tarique also highlighted the construction of necessary structures, such as overpasses and underpasses, at congested intersections to facilitate uninterrupted traffic flow.
Initiatives have been taken to link the under-construction Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway with the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. A feasibility study for a connection with the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway is also underway.
Ongoing projects mentioned by the prime minister include the widening of the road and construction of a double-decker road from Panchabati to Muktarpur Bridge, a 1,690-metre bridge over the Payra River on the Kachua-Betagi-Patuakhali-Lohalia-Kalaia road, and a bridge over the Meghna-Dhanagoda River on the Matlab North-Gajaria road.
Several other major projects are in the pipeline. These include a second Jamuna Bridge over the Jamuna River and a second Padma Bridge at the Paturia-Daulatdia point.
The proposed projects also include bridges over the Kalabador and Tentulia rivers on the Barishal-Bhola road, a bridge over the Meghna River on the Shariatpur-Chandpur road, and another bridge over the Meghna River on the Bhulta-Araihazar-Bancharampur road.
In addition, the government plans to implement the Dhaka-Chattogram Elevated Expressway, the Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis, and a second Muktarpur Bridge over the Dhaleshwari River.
Tarique articulated a vision to establish Bangladesh Railway as the primary backbone of the national transport system. Under the Railway Master Plan, rail services will be extended to every district and major city. To achieve this, 24 projects have been identified across three phases: short-term (up to 2026-27), medium-term (2027-2030), and long-term (2031-2045).
Efforts are also underway to convert the entire country’s rail network into dual gauge to ensure an integrated system for seamless passenger and freight movement.
To further enhance capacity, projects will be undertaken to increase the number of intercity and commuter trains. In the short term, these will increase by 3; in the medium term by 10, 15, 16; and in the long term by 103 and 85.
