Dhaka Bypass Road Section Opens, Adviser Calls for Shift in transport Focus & Curbing Corruption
BHOGRA, GAZIPUR – An 18-kilometer stretch of the 48-kilometer Dhaka bypass Road, running from Bhogra in Gazipur to Madanpur in Narayanganj, was inaugurated today. The project aims to ease traffic congestion around Dhaka city.
Speaking to reporters at the Bhogra Bypass area following the inauguration,the adviser emphasized the need to prioritize modes of transport beyond land acquisition,citing the high costs associated with acquiring land for infrastructure projects. He advocated for exploring choice transport solutions.
The adviser also highlighted a shortage of skilled engineers in Bangladesh, leading to reliance on foreign professionals for road and railway construction. Despite the annual graduation of thousands of engineers from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), he stressed the importance of developing local expertise to reduce dependence on foreign experts.
“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.
He further stated that corruption significantly contributes to higher road construction costs in bangladesh compared to neighboring countries. He estimated that curbing corruption could reduce construction expenses by 20% to 30%.
“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 entire 48-kilometer Dhaka Bypass project is being implemented under a public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The Joydebpur-Debgram-Bhulta-Madanpur Road is currently being upgraded to a four-lane highway at an approximate cost of Tk3,500 crore. The project utilizes the Design, Build, Finance, operate, and Maintain (DBFOT) model.
The bypass road is strategically designed to connect major national highways, including the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, Dhaka-Sylhet Highway, Purbachal expressway, Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, and Dhaka-Tangail Highway, improving regional connectivity and reducing travel times.
