Country’s cross-border trade is likely to get a big boost as the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) will widen the Bhanga-Jashore-Benapole highway into a six-lane corridor in the next five years.
Officials said the RHD has undertaken an Indian LoC (line of credit)-aided project to rebuild the highway aimed at improving sub-regional trade among South Asian nations as it (trade) is still very poor in volume.
The developer has recently sought approval of a Tk 138.41-billion project from the Planning Commission (PC) to upgrade the 129.17-kilometre road to four lanes and two other service lanes for slow-moving vehicles.
It will reconstruct the road from Bhanga (Faridpur) to Benapole via Jashore for connecting Bangladesh with neighbouring India through Padma Bridge.
Currently, the Bhanga-Jashore-Benapole highway is a two-lane corridor that connects the capital city of Dhaka with south-western districts and the country’s largest land port Benapole.
A senior RHD official said, “We’ve sought the project’s approval from the PC. Soon after getting endorsement, we’ll go for (re)building the road for completion by June 2028.”
The Dhaka-Padma Bridge-Bhanga-Jashore-Benapole highway is part of the Asian Highways (AH)-01 and the SASEC Road Corridor-02.
As proposed, Tk 110.825 billion of the total project cost will be bankrolled from the Indian LoC-III and the remaining Tk 27.58 billion from the government’s internal resources.
In addition to doing the expansion work, the RHD will construct 34 overpasses and flyovers, 18 bridges, 155 culverts, two rail overpasses, two trumpet interchanges, 24 footbridges, one axel-load control station and two rest houses for drivers and passengers.
The Dhaka-Padma Bridge-Bhanga-Jessore-Benapole highway will help accelerate both vehicular movement and regional trade, according to an official of road transport and bridges ministry.
“The road will also connect the Mongla seaport with the country’s western frontiers. It will be utilised for linking Bangladesh with India, landlocked Nepal and Bhutan,” he said.
According to the official, a road and a railway line from Mongla port will also connect Khulna, Jashore and Benapole to facilitate cross-border and regional trade in this subcontinent.
Since Nepal and Bhutan have sought to use Mongla port for their overseas trade, the Bhanga-Jashore-Benapole highway would expedite the endeavour, he added.
When asked, a senior PC official said they were scrutinising the RHD proposal.
“Since the Bhanga-Jashore-Benapole (highway) is a busy and important corridor for both Bangladesh and regional trade, we have considered the project proposal seriously and are working accordingly,” he said.
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