Prudent investment in infrastructure development

Bangladesh has achieved an impressive growth at 8.13 per cent until the pandemic hit. During the pandemic, the country witnessed GDP growth in 2020 and 2021 at 7.25 per cent alongside sustained US$ per-capita income in FY2022 containing the pandemic stress due to strong economic and private-sector base while many developed economies underperformed. Underneath this facade was a flagrant lacking in what acts as a fulcrum-a balanced multimodal transport system with expreway dynamics.
Bangladesh ranked as the top 5th-resilient economy globally amidst the pandemic time. With the stunning performance, the IMF forecast, GDP of Bangladesh would surpass many developing economies like Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Singapore by 2025, and CEBR, UK, forecast Bangladesh be 24th-largest economy by 2033. Backed by steady growth, Bangladesh is set to graduate into a developing country by 2026 followed by a developed economy by 2041.
Noteworthy here is that transport and communications infrastructure is a critical enabler for the growth of industrialization and societal development. Increasing in-country economic mobility and facilitating local industrial investment is facilitated by a seamless road transport network, along with other economic dynamics such as cost-efficient trade and competitiveness enhancement. Adequate infrastructure is a critical factor in attracting both domestic and foreign investments. Strong infrastructure plays a crucial role in creating a favorable business environment and promoting private-sector engagement. However, our existing in-country transport and communications system lacks proper connectivity to high-quality, high-speed roads, which are essential for fostering rapid economic development.
While Bangladesh has made significant progress in terms of its total road network, ranking 22nd overall, with 370,000 kilometers (70 per cent unpaved). It has also achieved an impressive road density of 250km/100km2 in the 20th position. In terms of quality road, however, that is totally lacking and ranks 59th when it comes to roads such as a controlled-access high-speed expressway for faster economic growth. Among peer counties, Pakistan ranks 38th, Malaysia 40th, Indonesia 45th, Vietnam 52nd, and Thailand 57th.
Investing in infrastructure such as expressways facilitates economic growth, social progress, and sustainability. It enhances connectivity, boosts productivity, improves living standards, and attracts investments, ultimately driving country development. Considering the acute shortage of scarce land and the competing demands for land in Bangladesh, the proposal for developing a grade-separated or elevated expressway network using the same national highway right-of-way emerges as the best solution. This approach allows for the multi-purpose use of existing infrastructure, minimizing the need for additional land acquisition. To achieve this, it is essential to implement appropriate development strategies and make informed planning decisions, focusing on establishing a controlled-access network and fostering the development of a balanced multimodal infrastructure. By incorporating these considerations, Bangladesh can effectively address its land -scarcity challenges while improving its transportation system.
TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN BANGLADESH: The transportation system in Bangladesh comprises roads and highways, railways, inland waterways, seaports, maritime shipping, and civil aviation, catering to both domestic and international traffic. Among these modes of transport, roads and highways are considered economic backbone of the country, accounting for nearly 80 percent of freight traffic. However, due to sustained overemphasis and biased development priorities, the modal share of freight transport dramatically increased from 35 per cent in 1975 to 77 per cent in 2019, at the expense of railway and waterway transportation. The relative roles of transport modes are evolving, with road transport expanding while railways and inland water transport suffer due to the inherent door-to-door convenience of road transport.
The current practice of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in developing roads with sinusoidal alignment on donated land and compromising the headroom clearance of waterways poses a serious threat to water transport and hinders the accessibility of larger vehicles necessary for dense rural development along with a high degree of risk exposures.
It is necessary to address the imbalanced development and evolving roles of transport modes. A more comprehensive approach is required to promote sustainable growth across all transportation modes and ensure efficient accessibility for larger vehicles, while also preserving the viability of water transport and supporting rural development in areas with densified land use.

It can be observed from the table that Bangladesh previously had a balanced transport system encompassing river, rail, and road modes of transport. However, the uncontrolled expansion of road infrastructure without considering navigational headroom has resulted in significant operational challenges for marine vessels. Additionally, the construction of unauthorized level-crossings on roads has negatively impacted the efficiency and safety of railway operations.
These happen mostly due to road-biased development policy without proper integration with other modes of transport. The excessive focus on road mode has made the current transport system unsustainable with chronic congestion, excess pollution, and most important, ever-increasing safety hazards. So far, the full potential of railways and waterways has not been utilized to build a well-balanced and integrated multi-modal sustainable transport system and thereby conserve land and resources.
Before independence, Bangladesh had eight national highway corridors, and today, the number remains the same. Since independence, the focus has been on direct connectivity through bridges, widening existing highways and establishing a few missing links in the network. However, there has been a lack of prudent initiative in opening up new highway routes, which was prescribed in DITS (1992) and the Road Master Plan (1994).
In the past, highway improvements in Bangladesh have predominantly focused on widening roads, without giving adequate attention to intersection treatments or road -adjacent land-use control. As a result, roads have been operated without implementing setbacks to adjacent land uses, leading to markets (Hat/Bazar) being located within the highway's right of way. This has created congestion hotspots and accident-prone areas. In an attempt to address these bottlenecks, horizontal bypasses were constructed, but they have also become congested over time. Consequently, vertical bypasses have recently been introduced in congested segments.
In a land-scarce country like Bangladesh, railways can perform a useful and effective role in transporting bulk freight and passengers more cost -effectively and with lower adverse environmental impacts than road transport. It is the most environmentally-friendly, safe, and affordable mode of transport. Bangladesh Railway can help reduce road congestion by attracting current and future road users using various measures. These measures include increasing container-movement efficiency and capacity, reorganizing Bangladesh Railway (BR) into separate business lines, with a focus on operations in consideration of multimodal transport needs.



However, for a lack of proper attention, maintenance, with many speed restrictions and safety concerns, in addition, the railway operates passenger and freight trains on same tracks with poor level of service, which obviously hampers efficiency. Travel costs should inherently be half of highway mode, but BR continuously increases freight rates to compensate for passenger losses.
So far, inland waterways have not played a significant role in containerized freight movement, despite Bangladesh's vast river network. However, the increase in container traffic could be a key factor in reviving inland water transport (IWT) and developing a balanced multimodal sustainable container-transport service. Currently, the country's transport system is heavily biased towards the resource-intensive road mode, which accounts for 90 percent of the modal share. This reliance on road transport has led to neglect of the potential of inland waterways and railways for intermodal transportation, which are considered more economical and sustainable modes for cargo and container movements.
Appropriate planning and investment in the inland water -transport sector could enhance its role in the national transport system and help alleviate pressure on the road network. Despite the neglect it has faced in the past, the government's attention and resources should be directed towards the development of inland water transport, including activities such as dredging. On the other hand, the existing freight transport logistics system in Bangladesh heavily relies on a haphazardly evolving infrastructure that predominantly uses covered vans and depends on roads and highways. This system, however, is unreliable and unsustainable due to factors like congestion, poor road conditions, and lack of alternative routes.
In order to achieve a more efficient and sustainable freight -transport system, there is a need to prioritize the development of inland waterways and railways, which can offer more cost-effective and environmentally friendly options for cargo and container movements. By diversifying the transport modes and promoting intermodal connectivity, Bangladesh can reduce its reliance on road transport and create a more balanced and resource-conserving logistics system.
Even after continuous investment, expected returns from road-biased development could not be harnessed due to poor planning of road network without following any road-hierarchy, indiscriminate way of connecting lower- order road with the higher -order road and thereby reducing level of service, even higher- order road allowed to meet without any interchange facilities, poor performance of intersection, rampant encroachment, conflicting usages of roads, and highways, presence of hat-bazar within the r.o.w., pedestrian and non-motorised vehicles on the same carriageway.
Most importantly, lack of access-controlled r.o.w. and effective monitoring results in low journey speeds (25-40kmph) with a high degree of unreliability, long congestion and frequent traffic-flow disruptions due to poor maintenance and accidents. Bangladesh has high logistics costs. Logistics include expenses like transportation costs, which often make up 40 per cent of production costs. This is quite substantial compared to our competitors. This high logistics cost weakens Bangladesh's competitiveness.
According to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2018-2019, Bangladesh ranked 105th among 141 countries. Other regional competitors, excepting Pakistan, secured better rankings. It is worth noting here that though we are trying to develop very capital-intensive highway-widening projects, unfortunately we are not getting the required mobility. The main reason for this is conflicting usages causing poor operational conditions. As such, the primary investment emphasis should be given to building necessary access -control infrastructures in the form of expressways. This will establish self-enforced right of way (r.o.w.) throughout to the transport corridor.

To overcome the challenges facing highways with no access -control attributes, such as congestion, safety concerns, and lack of alternative routes, significant investment is required to develop access-protected expressways. These expressways would provide high-speed, quality roads with limited access points, ensuring smoother and safer traffic flow. The construction of access-controlled expressways in alternative corridors would alleviate existing congestion and provide efficient transportation routes. Investing in the development of access-controlled expressways would offer faster travel times, reduced congestion, and improved road safety, making them more reliable for trade, transit, and tourism purposes. This is also emphasized in the 7th 5-year plan.
HISTORY OF EXPRESSWAY DEVELOPMENT and GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES: The development of expressways, motorways, and autobahns has played a significant role in modern transportation infrastructure. The concept of high-speed, controlled-access roadways originated in Europe and North America in the early 20th century. The first motorway, the AVUS (Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungsstraße), was built in Berlin, Germany, in 1921. However, it wasn't until the 1930s that the autobahn system gained momentum under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime. The German autobahn network, with its advanced engineering and modern design, became blueprint for many subsequent highway systems worldwide. In the United States, the Interstate Highway System, often referred to as the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, was initiated in 1956. This massive infrastructure project aimed to connect major cities and improve transportation efficiency across the country. The development of the Interstate Highway System revolutionized travel and commerce in America. Similarly, other countries around the world began investing in expressway and motorway networks to accommodate the growing demand for faster, safer, and more efficient transportation. These high-speed roadways, characterized by limited access, multiple lanes, and controlled intersections, have become vital arteries for economic growth and regional connectivity. Over the years, expressway/motorway/autobahn systems have undergone continuous expansion and improvement, incorporating advanced technologies and safety features. They have become integral to urban and interurban mobility, enabling rapid transit and enhancing the movement of goods, services, and people across vast distances.
Today, expressways, motorways, and autobahns are common features in many countries worldwide, serving as essential components of their transportation infrastructure. Quality transport infrastructures, including expressways, are crucial for economic growth and regional connectivity. Developed countries have extensively invested in these high-speed road networks, which have demonstrated numerous benefits. The positive impacts of such infrastructure are well-documented, leading many emerging countries to embark on aggressive expressway -expansion programmes.
In India, access-controlled national highways are less than 2.0 per cent of the network but carry 40 per cent of total traffic. Productivity- wise they are 30 times more efficient than no-access -controlled highways. Similar productivity outcomes are also observed in other developed countries, including Pakistan and China. Moreover, the historic accident records revealed that the expressway is the safest among the highway echo system in terms of fatality index. This is evident from the adjacent table.
Recognising the enormous benefit multiplier and land -conserving attributes, China serves as a notable example, achieving an impressive 95-percent coverage of expressways within a span of just 35 years. India, following a Golden Quadrilateral framework approved by its parliament, expanded its expressway network over 20 years, resulting in a massive infrastructure improvement. Other countries in the region, including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Pakistan, are also proactively increasing their high-quality access highways. However, not all countries have achieved full-fledged expressway networks.
Despite investing $3.5 billion for Padma Bridge and $1.1 billion for connecting expressway, Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway has not been made full controlled-access and its speed limit has not been increased from 80kmph. Bangladesh is currently among the 134 least -developed countries without a comprehensive expressway system. Absence of such infrastructure impacts transportation speed, efficiency, and safety. Therefore, there is growing recognition of the need to invest in and develop expressways to unlock their potential benefits for socioeconomic progress.
STRATEGIES FOR TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: In development of multimodal transport system, the focus should be shifted from roadways to more sustainable modes of transportation like railways and waterways that conserve resources and are more environment-friendly. The topmost priority here should be the development of a balanced 3R (Rail, River & Road)- based integrated multimodal transport infrastructure where all modes of transport would act as a complement to one another and thereby get the synergy which would be the precursor of resource- conserving development path for taking Bangladesh to a higher growth trajectory quickly.
Development of freight intermodal connectivity is imperative. The railway sector offers distinct advantages, including lower freight transportation costs and a more environmentally friendly mode of transport. Similarly, inland waterways have their own advantages and can effectively contribute to freight transportation. By efficiently connecting these waterways with railways and roads, their importance and contribution to the overall transport system can be further enhanced, leading to greater intra-modal synergy.
Considering Bangladesh's fundamental constraint of land scarcity, it is crucial to restrict the growth rate of the vehicle population as future opportunities for road construction will be increasingly limited. Bangladesh highway development is both capital-and land-intensive, and has a significant environmental impact. This is particularly true because more than 80 per cent of the country's terrain consists of floodplains with unconsolidated alluvial deposits. This necessitates highways on high embankments. This embankment-based road required three times the land of its carriageway width. In Bangladesh, land acquisition is often associated with high costs, as landowners are typically compensated at a rate three times the market price of the acquired land. LA is also a more complex and time-consuming process with litigation potential.
Currently, roads already occupy 12 per cent of the land area in Bangladesh, which is only slightly less than the 14 per cent occupied by housing. Building roads and highways on floodplains requires acquiring more than double the width of land to accommodate the embankment and carriageway, leading to a significant impact on agricultural land. Additionally, these artificial road embankments negatively affect aquatic life and contribute to increased magnitude and frequency of floods, which in turn affect agricultural production.
Furthermore, constructing high embankments on floodplains with alluvial deposits requires extensive slope-protection measures and poses a high risk to traffic safety due to the potential for rolling and falling incidents. Given these factors, it is imperative to find alternative approaches to transport development that minimize land requirements and mitigate the negative environmental impacts associated with high embankments on floodplains.
On the contrary, the improvement of the agricultural sector is directly linked to the reliable and extensive transport infrastructure that allows for efficient transportation of agricultural supplies to farmlands and agricultural products to markets. Therefore, there needs to be a delicate balance between expanding the transport network, enhancing agricultural productivity, and conserving land. To prioritize nature conservation and address the acute shortage of agricultural land, it would be best to focus on developing a few high-quality roads rather than numerous low-quality, unreliable, and unsustainable ones.
Utilising naturally developed river and canal systems is crucial instead of further expanding roadway infrastructure at the expense of invaluable agricultural land. Additionally, an innovative infrastructure-development approach would involve constructing roads on elevated frames, preserving biodiversity, preventing social divisions, and, most importantly, conserving land and construction materials. By adopting such strategies, we can foster sustainable agricultural practices and maintain a balance between transport development and land conservation.
Matching investment in transport-infrastructure development is essential to harness the full benefits of impressive growth in the energy sector and its impact on increased industrial productivity. Without parallel investment in transport infrastructure, the economic potential of highly subsidized energy initiatives in the power sector cannot be fully realised.
The current pattern of roadway development, which focuses solely on increasing the quantity of roads without upholding their quality, is unsustainable for a land-constrained country like Bangladesh. To maximize roadway capacity while maintaining geometric and operating conditions, it is crucial to address the deteriorating conditions of different modes of transport. This poses a significant challenge in achieving sustainable transport infrastructure and conserving resources. Taking into consideration the low-lying floodplain terrain of Bangladesh, which constitutes over 80 per cent of the total landmass, an alternative innovative approach to road construction could be the use of elevated pier systems. This method can effectively conserve scarce resources and offer several major benefits, including:
• Eliminating the need for embankments and slope maintenance.
• Minimizing the loss of agricultural land.
• Avoiding the use of fill material, which has posed challenges in previous projects.
• Conserving natural resources and preserving the environment.
• Preventing social division and biodiversity disruption caused by embankments dividing neighborhoods and wetland areas.
• Mitigating safety issues associated with high embankments, such as derailment and falling.
• Avoiding the construction of cross-drainage structures and maintaining the natural flow of floodwater, resulting in minimal environmental impact.
• Promoting self-enforcement and minimizing ribbon development and side friction along highways.
• Reducing drainage-induced carriageway submergence problems and minimizing the risk of premature pavement failure.
The elevated highway configuration naturally lends itself to a fully access-controlled arterial road, making it a cost-effective solution for developing expressways in a land-constrained country like Bangladesh. While the construction cost of elevated roads may be high, considering the life-cycle cost and the aforementioned social and environmental advantages, it represents a strategic and transformative initiative that fosters the economic growth potential of Bangladesh. In the long run, it ensures high-quality, sustainable, and reliable transport infrastructure with a minimal land footprint.
Modal shift to water-transport system is also considered pivotal. Bangladesh has a network of natural streams that offer significant potential for passenger and freight transportation. Utilizing these streams can help create a balanced transportation system by reducing the excessive pressure on the road network. This mode of transportation can serve as a viable alternative to the current unsustainable container-transport system that relies heavily on roadways and is ridden with tailbacks.
Modal shift to railway transport system is another must-do. The rail-transport system in Bangladesh faces inherent threats from road transportation. The country's smaller geographical footprint, flat terrain, and the central location of the capital city make road transport more favorable with its door-to-door connectivity. However, considering that railways are cheaper, safer, more fuel-efficient, and a demand-responsive mode of transport, the government has prioritized railway communications for sustainability. This policy should continue in the future to avoid costly investments in the road sector to meet capacity demands, which would result in a more fuel-intensive transport system.
Unlike waterways and roadways, there is currently no scope for private investment in the railway sector. India has recently adopted plans to open railway industries to unlimited foreign investment in infrastructure development as part of efforts to reform and revive its economy. Similarly, Bangladesh Railway should be given the opportunity to engage in public-private partnership ventures, particularly for improving its operations and services.
To ensure high-speed operation of railways as well as to reduce socio-environmental impacts, the track should be built elevated on pier system instead of high embankment. Inherently, at-grade railway suffers from unauthorised level- crossings and conflicting use of r.o.w.
The orientation issue in Dhaka causes detoured connections with Chittagong and creates a bottleneck and operational problems at Kamalapur central station, which serves as the sole gateway for trains from different parts of the country. To reduce unnecessary travel distances and conserve resources, it is necessary to establish the Dhaka-Laksham cord line via Fatullah, Narayanganj. This new route has the potential to serve as an additional gateway for Kamalapur station from southern districts. This strategic investment would improve port -operational efficiency, accommodate train movements induced by the Padma Bridge, and establish a missing link for transshipment and regional connectivity.
Additionally, to overcome inconsistent railway- gauge issues and maximize the productivity of broad gauge -and meter-gauge rolling stock, the practice of converting uni-gauge tracks to dual-gauge systems should be continued. Moreover, considering the better revenue potential from container transport (currently less than 10 per cent) and the impact of the unsustainable fuel-intensive freight transport system dominated by semi-trailers or covered vans (90 per cent), there is a need to introduce a fuel-efficient and faster dedicated high-speed railway freight corridor with double-layer container-carrying service, similar to initiatives in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
It is expected that the amount and growth of containerized freight will significantly increase in the near future due to massive investment plans in the energy sector, the development of 100 special economic zones (SEZs), and other mega infrastructure projects. Therefore, there is a strong need for a balanced and sustainable freight- transport system. Many other countries, including India, China, and Japan, transport a substantial portion (50 to 80 per cent) of industrial goods and imported items by railway. They have purposefully developed high-speed dedicated freight corridors equipped with double-layer container-carrying facilities.
In the present context, it is not possible to improve the container-transportation service of BR through the existing mechanism. On the other hand, the current trend of heavily relying on roads for container freight distribution (90 per cent modal shift) is resource-intensive and unsustainable. These factors indicate the need for BR to develop a rail-based containerized freight transport system that conserves resources.
Furthermore, in the light of land scarcity and the significance of appropriate setback development, it is crucial to integrate at-grade expressway transport corridors into economic corridors by effectively incorporating adjacent landuse. This approach should be specifically implemented along new alignments, such as the Pattaya Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in Thailand and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan. This strategy will not only conserve land resources but also ensure that the at-grade highways are access-controlled, providing seamless, faster, and reliable connectivity for freight movements related to import- export activities.
Development of EPZ/SEZ-mouth ICD: To attract foreign investments, boost trade, and create jobs, the government plans to gradually establish 100 new special economic zones (SEZs) across the country. These SEZs are expected to generate a significant demand for container movements. Successful SEZs in countries like China, Vietnam, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan have demonstrated the importance of well-connected intermodal facilities. Therefore, it is crucial to develop better transport connectivity for the proposed SEZs, particularly through railway-based inland container depots (ICDs). The establishment of SEZ-mouth ICD facilities would provide shippers with cost-effective and reliable point-to-point export-import connectivity. This integrated intermodal approach in SEZ development has the potential to attract more foreign investment, reduce the reliance on highways for container services, and contribute to environmental conservation. Moreover, it would provide a reliable source of revenue for the Bangladesh railway.
Fostering regional development is an important consideration of the day. South Asia is currently the least-integrated region, and the cost of trading across borders is among the highest in the world. Cooperation with neighbouring countries presents significant benefits for Bangladesh, particularly in terms of road, rail, water -transport services, and port services. Integrating the transport network of South Asia is also crucial for Nepal, Bhutan, and regions such as northeast India. This integration would provide them improved access to regional ports and important economic centres, as well as a variety of routes and modes of transportation. Bangladesh stands to gain considerably through trading in "transport services" with these hinterland countries, while these countries would benefit from cost savings due to shorter trip lengths and access to seaports.
Therefore, regional connectivity would create a win-win situation for all. In the context of regional connectivity, there have been agreements to open up transport facilities both bilaterally and sub-regionally. These agreements include allowing the use of Mongla and Chittagong seaports by Nepal, Bhutan, and India for the movement of goods by road and rail, enabling free movement of trucks among the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal) countries, and facilitating bilateral trade in containers through rail and water transports.
STATE OF EXPRESSWAY DEVELOPMENT: The government of Bangladesh has devised a comprehensive plan to construct eight expressways to enhance regional connectivity, linking seaports and land ports with neighbouring countries. Roads and Highways Department is responsible for developing the plan, which includes five expressways connecting the southern and northern regions, as well as three expressways connecting the eastern and western regions.
These proposed expressways will span a total length of 2,352 kms and will be built on new routes instead of utilizing existing ones. They will be designed as four-lane highways exclusively for long-distance passenger and freight vehicles, with toll charges applicable.
The department submitted this National Expressway Programme (NEP) master plan to the Ministry on July 30, 2018, but the outcome of its implementation seems to be long way off.
In the backdrop of this plan, there have been considerations for an expressway between Dhaka and Chattogram due to the growing traffic between the two cities. Initially, the government planned for an expressway in 2013 but later decided to widen the existing highway. The current plan includes mainly a six-lane highway, with some sections potentially having eight lanes. However, this decision has raised concerns, as utilizing the existing road network for regional connectivity could impose additional pressure on the roads and negate economic benefits.

The Dhaka-Chattogram corridor plays a significant role in the country's trade, underscoring the importance of an expressway to stimulate economic growth. Currently, the average vehicle speed on major highways is around 30 km/h, but with an expressway, it is estimated that the average speed on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway could reach 80 km/h, resulting in a potential 6-7-percent increase in Bangladesh's export competitiveness.
Meanwhile, in October 2016, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) took an initiative to build an elevated expressway between the two cities. Later, the road transport and bridges minister ordered the authority to drop the initiative. In 2019, the Roads and Highways Department requested a reconsideration of the expressway plan, emphasizing its importance over adding more lanes to the existing highway. Previous plans for the expressway were dropped in favour of a high-speed railway project, which is currently on hold on cost considerations.
Now, the widening project is anticipated to include six lanes for most sections of the highway, with some areas potentially having eight lanes, as determined by the feasibility study. The project will also include service lanes along the entire stretch. Physical work on the project is projected to begin in late 2025.
The performance of existing national highways, including limited access-controlled expressways like Nalka-Hatikamul and Dhaka-Bhanga, emphasizes the importance of adequate setback provisions to ensure effective arterial function. Merely widening the existing roads without proper planning and design will not accomplish the intended objectives. To ensure long-term effectiveness, it is recommended to develop an elevated multi-lane expressway above the existing right-of-way. This approach would cater to long-distance mobility along the corridor, while the existing highway could serve as an alternative route and provide accessibility for local traffic. Such a solution would promote self-enforcement, sustained high speeds, and enhanced safety, resulting in a durable and efficient transportation infrastructure.
Failing to adopt this approach would lead to an ongoing cycle of road-improvement needs. For example, expanding from 2 to 4 lanes, then to 6 lanes, and so on, without adequately addressing the fundamental travel requirements for sustained high speeds. Other countries in the region have successfully completed their expressway master plans during the 20s and early 21st century, gradually establishing a robust backbone network. Delaying the formulation and implementation of a similar master plan in Bangladesh would have irreversible consequences for the economy and impede the utilization of potential economic activities, including the development of 100 SEZs and leveraging the capacity of major ports like Materbari Hub and Deep-sea Port, Payra Seaport, Patenga and Bay Container terminals, among others.
The cost of inaction in this regard would be significant and result in irreparable damage to the economy and overall transportation infrastructure.
In conclusion, it is highly advisable that, in addition to continuously increasing the quantity of infrastructure, there should be a focus on developing quality infrastructures with the hallmark attribute of uninterrupted, sustained high-speed mobility.
Bangladesh currently lacks full-access-controlled infrastructure, indicating an acute shortage of quality roads with arterial configurations.
To achieve a balanced pyramid of different road categories, in line with global standards, there should be at least 2-5 per cent of highways with access -controlled configurations in Bangladesh. To maintain a higher-growth trajectory even after LDC graduation, including double-digit GDP growth and achieving multitrillion-dollar economy, Bangladesh needs to develop a balanced multimodal transport-infrastructure system based on the three pillars of Rail, River, and Road (3R).
As a 21st-century investment-friendly infrastructure, it is crucial for Bangladesh to have an approved and formulated master plan for an access-controlled 'Backbone Network', similar to India's renowned 'Golden Quadrilateral National Multilane Expressway' roadway system. This will pave the way for enhanced connectivity and efficient transportation across the country.
Strategically, it is important for Bangladesh to prioritize the development of an expressway system with an elevated, self-enforced configuration, utilizing the existing highway right-of-way. A debate can be arranged to discuss this crucial issue, taking into account the challenges associated with quantifying the various components of economic benefits. These challenges include assigning appropriate weightage in Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) assessments for factors such as loss of agricultural land, potential litigation related to land acquisition, cost and time overruns, loss of project utility due to delayed implementation, potential gain in level of service (LOS) in terms of speed increase and capacity augmentation, material-supply constraints and local content, social costs associated with at-grade expressways, loss of social welfare, impacts of climate change and urban drainage, impact of road maintenance, flow disruptions, and vehicle damage resulting from industrial unrest and road blockages with no alternative routes. These considerations are beyond simple financial quantification and require comprehensive evaluation.
To create a balanced multimodal transport system, we must fully utilize the potential of waterways and railways, particularly for bulk and containerized freight transport. Given Bangladesh's compact geography and Dhaka's central location, developing elevated high-speed expressways and railways is a strategic, future-proof decision that also promotes land conservation and decentralization. These grade-separated facilities would ensure faster, more reliable, and climate-resilient mobility, while reducing social divides, safeguarding food security, and minimizing flood-related disruptions. The recent floods in Feni, which isolated Chattogram for 11 days by halting trains, buses, and freight, demonstrate the vulnerability of at-grade infrastructure. Building elevated, climate-adaptive, and resilient infrastructure is not just about economics-it's essential for survival.
For the integrated and planned development of national multimodal infrastructures, it is essential for the Planning Commission to assume a vital role. This can be achieved by strengthening its institutional capacity through the establishment of a robust planning unit comprising highly qualified professional planners. In order to ensure sustainable development, the Commission's current major role of approving budgetary allocations for individual ministry-initiated projects, which often lack proper integration, should be redefined. The primary responsibility for planning national multimodal infrastructural projects should be entrusted to the Planning Commission, enabling them to effectively coordinate and oversee the development process.
Failing accomplishment of the dos in right earnest could only result in the aspiration for becoming a developed nation by 2041 remaining a far-fetched dream.

Md Shamsul Hoque is Director, Accident Research Institute (ARI), and Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, BUET.
[email protected]