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1. Introduction: Transport in Bangladesh is an important part of the nation's economy. Since the liberation of the

country, the development of infrastructure within the country has progressed at a rapid pace, and

today there is a wide variety of modes of transport by land, water and air. However, there is

significant progress still to be made to ensure uniform access to all available transport.

1.1: Road and Transportation History in Bangladesh:

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) was created in 1962 when the old 'Construction &

Building (C&B) organisation was split into 2 separate bodies. RHD is responsible for the

construction and the maintenance of the major road and bridge network of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) is the state-owned transport corporation of

Bangladesh . It was established under the Government Ordinance No.7 of 1961 dated 4 February

1961. Following the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, it assumed its current name. BRTC is

a semi-autonomous corporation under the Ministry of Communication. The governing body

includes the Communication Minister, the Communication Secretary, the Director of the

corporation, and other officials. BRTC provides both passenger and cargo transport services.

BRTC operates three international bus lines (Dhaka to Kolkata, Agartala, and Siliguri in India).

Inside Bangladesh, it BRTC provides both passenger and cargo transport services which operates

inter-district bus services through its bus depots in Chittagong, Bogra, Comilla, Pabna, Rangpur,

Barisal, and Sylhet. It also operates intra-city bus services in many major cities of the country.

With financial assistance from the World Bank, in 1998, Bangladesh Government created the

Transport Coordination Board. An urban transport plan was commissioned with the US

Consulting Group Louis Berger and Bangladesh Consultant Ltd (BCL). The plan, launched in

2008, laid out a comprehensive transport plan for the Greater Dhaka City and its adjoining areas,

such as Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj, Keraniganj, Narshingdi and Manikganj, covering

around 1530 square miles. The plan looked at 15 Key Policy issues including safety, pedestrian

preferences, public transport, non-motorized transport, travel demand management, mass transit

systems, etc. Almost 70 different policy recommendations were produced under these 15 issue

areas. 10 comprehensive transportation strategies were then evaluated, using a base case of no

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or metro service and exploring many alternative combinations. Finally

the adopted plan included roads in addition to using a 3 Line Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and the

3 Line BRT. Furthermore, the plan included provisions for 54 new roads in and around the city, 3 part elevated expressways and a circular waterways programme.

1.2:Railway History of Bangladesh:

Railway acts as an important method of mass transport in Bangladesh. Many districts of the

country are connected via railroads. Bangladesh Railway was mostly inherited from the British-

established Assam Bengal railway system after the partition of India in 1947. Bangladesh

Railway's headquarters are located in the southern port city of Chittagong, which had historically

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been the south-eastern terminus of the Assam-Bengal Railway. After independence from West

Pakistan in 1971, only a small length of new tracks were laid out.

1.3: Roads Length by Classification:

National highway 3544.06Km

Regional highway 4278.07Km

Zilla road 13659.13Km

Total length 21481.25Km

Fig:1.3.1- Dhaka Bogra Highway

1.4: Some Major Highways:

Highway Name Length

Dhaka-Chittagong 455 km

Dhaka-Sylhet 286 km

Dhaka-Panchaghar 507Km

Daulatdia-Khulna 252Km

Kashinathpur-Rajshahi 150Km

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1.5: Culverts & Bridges:

Bridge 7741

Culvert 13751

1.6: Major Bridges In Bangladesh:

Name Road Name Length(m)

Jamuna bridge Dhaka-Bogra 4800

Lalon Shah bridge Ishwardi-Kustia 1786

Meghna bridge Dhaka-Chittagong 1360

Bhairab bridge Dhaka-Sylhet 1194

Shah Amanat bridge Chittagong-Coxs bazar 914

1.7:Railroads and bridges:

As of 2005, the total length of railroad is 2,706 kilometres (1,681 mi). Of that, 923 km (574 mi)

are broad gauge (1676mm) tracks (mostly in the western region), and the remaining 1,822 km

(1,132 mi) are meter gauge tracks (mostly in the central and eastern regions). The gauge problem

is being addressed by adding third rails to the most important broad and meter gauge routes, so

that they become dual gauge.

A major road-rail bridge over Jamuna River opened in 1998 to connect the previously isolated

east and west rail networks.

The border between India and Bangladesh cuts across rail lines, forcing them into the other

country for short distances.

Railways:

total: 2,745 km

broad gauge: 923 km 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (1998 est.)

1.8: Motorized vehicles and others:

Access to an all-season road is 39% of all roads . Within 2 kilometers (an estimated 20-minute

walk) of a road that can be traveled by the prevailing means of transport all year round . Total

Number of Motor Vehicles Based on Bangladesh HIES 2000; World Bank staffs calculation is

852,476 . Data show the percentage of the rural population in Bangladesh lives within 2 km of a

bus station. The percentage of rural population lives within 20 minutes walk to a bus station is

40%.

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2. Present status of Roads & Highways:

The present scenario of roads and highways is not up to the mark. The condition of the modern

infrastucture is given below:

2.1 :Condition of Roads:

Condition of roads in Bangladesh differs season to season .While They are muddy and shavy in

dry seasons, they are full of hollows and trenches in rainy season as the roads construction are

not free of defects.

Fig:2.1.1-Roads in rainy seasons

Crumbling roads and highways across the country are causing immense sufferings to common

people, said experts. There seems to be none to tackle road repair woes, they said.

BUET civil engineering department professor Mohammad Shamsul Hoque blamed RHDs

negligence and lengthy tender process for the pothole ridden roads and highways. Overloading is

of course a contributing factor behind the poor condition of the roads that were poorly

constructed in the first place, he said. Many roads and highways await repair since 2012-13

fiscal, particularly 81 per cent of roads in Barisal, 76 per cent in Khulna, 68 per cent in

Gopalganj, 66 per cent in Rangpur and 61 per cent in Dhaka, according to the RHD.

Reports from outlying districts say that many roads are in poor condition and the government

could not yet start the repair work though the monsoon is fast approaching.

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The RHD, responsible for maintenance of 21,000 kilometres of highways and roads across the

country, could repair no more than 8,623 kilometres in the last fiscal. Besides, out of 3,01,368

kilometres of local roads in upazilas, unions and rural areas, 15,500 kilometres of metalled roads

need maintenance by Local Government Engineering Department. But for about 84,600

kilometres of local metalled roads maintained by the LGED, the rest became dirt tracks.

2.2: Flyover: Modern infrastructure for road development

An overpass (called a flyover in the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An overpass

and underpass together form a grade separation.

In Bangladesh overpasses are actually called flyovers. Though many developed countries have

applied this approach to improve road condition, way way ago, in Bangladesh the government

has taken this possible solution to reach in good situation.

There are now a few flyovers in Dhaka City. They are:

Mohakhali Flyover Khilgaon flyover Kuril Flyover Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover Zillur Rahman Flyover

And many other flyovers are under construction. They are helping to ease the problem and make

the life of people as easier as possible. Flyover has made things easier for people in Bangladesh.

Thus this kind of project is a great relief for us.

Flyovers are helping a lot in our day to day lives. Because of flyovers our life has been

simplified a lot. There are a few flyovers in Dhaka city. They are :

Khilgaon Flyover : KhilgaonFlyover is the second flyover bridge of Bangladesh history. Khilgaon Flyover is next to

Kamalapur. Khilgaon Flyover has a length of 1.9 kilometers. But it is split in separated ways.

The prime minister, Khaleda Zia. opened the 1.9kilometre flyover, by unveiling a plaque in a

ceremony on the flyover at the joining its three wings, connecting Khilgaon with Rajarbagh in

the south, Malibagh in the west and Sayedabad in the east.

Mohakhali Flyover : Mohakhali is one of the busiest places in Dhaka,Bangladesh. Many important offices and

institutions are based in mohakhali.Mohakhali Bus terminal is one of the most important

terminals of Dhaka city.Every day thousands of people, particularly from greater Mymensingh

region, travel by this bus terminal.The flyover has a total length of 1.12 Km with a total 19 nos.

of span of prestressed segmental box girder profile.

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Fig:2.2.1- Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover Fig:2.2.2- Kuril Flyover

Kuril Flyover : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the much talked about 3.1 kilometre Kuril flyover in

the capital. It comprises four sections providing uninterrupted connection among HazratShahjalal

International Airport, Nikunja, Banani, Rampura and Purbachal areas.

Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover : The flyover connects Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Mawa and the Dhaka-Demrahighways, and the

different link roads of Jatrabari and Gulistan areas, to ease traffic congestion in the southern part

of the city. It would also connect the capital with five divisionsDhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna and Barisal. This flyover costs a high amount of 2108 crore tk.

2.3: Upcoming projects: Here are some upcoming projects of roads & transportation in Bangladesh.

2.3.1: Dhaka - Chittagong Access Controlled Expressway Project

Dhaka and Chittagong are the two major metropolitan areas of Bangladesh. Dhaka, the capital of

Bangladesh, is the main commercial and administrative centre of the country and Chittagong, the

main seaport, accounts for over 90% of the countrys import and export. Around 25% of the population of Bangladesh lives within the Dhaka Chittagong corridor. Currently road communication between the two major cities is served by the 231km 2 lane

Dhaka Chittagong National Highway (N1), which can be considered to be the most important highway and the lifeline of commerce in Bangladesh. It is also part of the Trans-Asian Highway

network. However, the road traffic on this route is severely hampered because of the lack of

capacity of the existing highway and the load restrictions of bridges; with journeys taking around

10 hours due to the congestion of the road. The road also suffers from poor road safety records

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because of the lack of segregation between local and national traffic and between motorized and

non-motorized traffic.

The Government of Bangladesh has prioritized the improvement of road communications

between Dhaka and Chittagong as part of the countrys sixth five year plan (2011-2015) and has

initiated the Dhaka-Chittagong Access Controlled Expressway project as a key component of its

overall development program.

Objective: To enhance and ensure safer and more reliable road communications between Dhaka and Chittagong.

Fig:2.3.1.1- Dhaka Chittagong Highway

2.3.2:Padma bridge:

The Padma Bridge is a multipurpose road-rail bridge across the Padma River to be constructed

in Bangladesh. When completed it will be the largest bridge in Bangladesh and the first fixed

river crossing for road traffic.

It will connect Louhajong, Munshiganj to Shariatpurand Madaripur, linking the south-west of

the country, to northern and eastern regions. The project covers three districts Munshiganj

(Mawa Point/North bank), Shariatpur and Madaripur (Janjira/South bank). The total area of land

to be acquired and required for its components is 918 hectares. The requisition of land for the

construction yard will be for six years on a rental basis. As per the new design, an additional

144.04 ha has been identified for acquisition, bringing the total to 1062.14 hectares. This

additional land is required because project site lost significant land due to erosion, for transition

structures and due to a change in railway alignment. The two-level steel truss bridge will carry a

four-lane highway on the upper level and a single track railway on a lower level.

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Fig:2.3.2.1- Padma Bridge

The project will include 6.15 km long and 18.10 m wide bridge,[1]

15.1 km of approach roads,

toll plazas and service areas.

Padma multi-purpose bridge project after the Bangladesh government accepts Malaysia's

technical and financial proposals on the project. On 16 July, China Railway Engineering

Corporation has proposed Government of Bangladesh with a better offer than World Bank to

build the Padma bridge about no interest and 3 years work time feature.

3. Consequences of Poor Engineering In Roads And Transportation In Bangladesh:

Due to poor engineering, So many problems are arising and we have to face those problems

every single day. Some of the most prominent problems are discussed below:

3.1:Trafic Jam:

Traffic jam is a common phenomenon in our country especially in Dhaka city, one of the mega

cities in the world. It is not a problem now-a-days rather it is more than a problem because

problem has some solutions that traffic jam has not. Time is the most valuable things in the

twenty first centaury no doubt. And traffic jam is killing the most productive time of the people

of Dhaka city. One of the major reasons why traffic jam is occuring in almost every big cities in

bangladesh is inadequite and poor engineering knowledge and its application.

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Dhaka City has very insufficient road networks. For a standard city, where the minimum road

requirement is 25%, Dhaka has only 7.5% road of its total area. 30% of this 7.5% road is also-

occupied by the hawkers, salesman and shopkeepers.A significant portion is occupied by

constructional materials and waste-containers of the City Corporation. As a result, the vehicles

do not get the required space to move resulting in traffic jam. If we look around we will find that

our railway communication is also not free from poor engineering. Everyday we are

experiencing movement of 74 trains to and from Dhaka. On an average, it takes minutes to get

the clearance for each crossing. Thus in one crossing, everyday the vehicles stops for five or six

hours that is really difficult to offset. Limited parking arrangement is another major cause of

excessive traffic in Dhaka City. It has become a regular practice to park the car on road. Even

during rush hours, people are seen loading and unloading their vehicles on a busy road. City

transports also stop here and there without any valid reason. No traffic rules are being followed

these days.

.

Fig: 3.1.1- Traffic in Chittagong Fig: 3.1.2- Traffic Jam In Dhaka

3.2. Defects In Flyovers And Bridges:

Bangladesh is a developing country. Bangladesh earned more remittance from garment sector.

So there have must need to fulfill his road ways communication. In 2011 Bangladesh

government started his first Flyover in December. Mohakhali flyover is the Bangladeshi first

flyover. Recently Bangladesh government buildup many flyovers in few years. Then, Khilgaon

flyover, Purbachal-Kuril flyover, Jatrabari Gulistan flyover, Mirpur-Banani flyovers are the

truimps in road and transportation system in dhaka in Bangladesh. But it is a matter of great

sorrow, that many of these flyovers are not built in a proper way. Cracks have been found in

Mohakhali flyover and Khilgaon flyover. Moreover, according to the daily Star, The Mohakhali

flyover remains vulnerable to earthquakes as all its shock transmission units (STU) have not

been installed yet. In case of a severe tremor, the 1.12 km long and 17.9 meter wide Mohakhali

flyover might not be able to withstand the shock as it lacks enough STUs. Experts said that STUs

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were necessary not only for flyovers to survive from earthquakes but also to reduce the effects of

pressure from heavy vehicles on the structure. Sources in Dhaka Urban transport Coordination

Board (DTCB) had earlier told Star City that at least 54 STUs were necessary for the flyover, but

that number was later reduced to 42 apparently because of budget constraint.

The Bahaddarhat flyover was also a project with poor engineering. At evening, 7:30 pm, 24 Nov

2012, The girders collapsed down. A huge sound was created due to falling down of the girders.

Panic ensued in the people who were around the place. People started running towards the place.

They came forward to help the endangered people. This tragic incident took away about 17 lives.

The girders fell on those people and knocked down all of them. So many dead bodies were found

unidentified. About 50 people were injured. Many people turned lame. The whole nation was

struck at that terrible moment.

Fig: 3.2.1-Mohakhali flyover Fig: 3.2.2-Bohoddarhat Flyover Fig: 3.2.3- Zomuna bridge

The Bangabandhu Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge (BJMB) within 11 years of its construction has

turned vulnerable for alleged defects in its design and construction. A Korean construction firm

named Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company constructed the 4.08-km long, 18.05

metre wide bridge with double lane and a railway.

3.3: Frequent Occurance of Accidents:

There has been an alarming rise in road accidents, significantly highway accidents, in

Bangladesh over the past few years. According to a study conducted by the Accident Research

Centre (ARC) of BUET, road accidents claim on average 12,000 lives annually and lead to about

35,000 injuries. According to World Bank statistics, annual fatality rate from road accidents is

found to be 85.6 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles. Hence, the roads in Bangladesh have become

deadly. And one of the main reason is the application of faulty engineering knowledge. Of the

total reported accidents on national highways, hit pedestrian emerges as the most common type

of accidents accounting to 40 percent of total accidents and 47 percent of all fatal accidents. This

is followed by head on collision (18%), rear end collision (13%) and overturning (11%) types of

accidents. These four accident types accounted for 82 percent of all accidents and 86 percent of

fatal accidents. The greater incidence of head-on types collisions on national highways as

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compared with its share in total accidents, highly justifies the necessity of separating opposing

traffic stream.

Fig: 3.3.1- Most frequent Accident Types on National Highways

Again, From the collected data, total number of vehicle in accidents were found 1013, 637 and

549 on Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Aricha national highway respectively,

which count for vehicle class involvement in accident on Dhaka-Chittagong national highway

almost 1.59 times of Dhaka-Sylhet and 1.85 times of Dhaka-Aricha national highway. Similarly

trucks involved in accident are about 40%, 28% and 30% of total accidents for these individual

national highways. Small buses also contribute more accidents which is about 11% for Dhaka-

Chittagong and Dhaka Aricha national highways and 16% for Dhaka-Sylhet national highway.

Other road vehicle class involvement in accidents is considerably lower.

Fig: 3.3.2-Accident Involvement by Different Fig: 3.3.3- Yearly Variation of Vehicle

- Vehicles Classes on Selected Highways Involvement in Accident

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So, Frequent accidents are happening. People are losing their life. Still, the engineers are not

concerned about solving these problems.

4. Standards for Highways:

Standards for Highways contains a variety of technical documentation relating to the design,

construction and maintenance of highways. Some of the document types available on the site are

as follows:

The Design Manual for Roads & Bridges (DMRB)

The DMRB provides a comprehensive manual system which accommodates all current stan-

dards, advice notes and other published documents relating to the design, assessment and opera-

tion of trunk roads (including motorways). These documents, together with later additions, have

been gathered together in a consistent series of volumes within the manual to help in meeting the

requirements of quality assurance procedures.

The Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW)

The MCHW consists of several parts which include the administrative procedures for its use, the

Specification for Highway Works and its corresponding Method of Measurement. The Manual

incorporates the requirements of EU legislation which are mandatory for all Public Procurement

Bodies.

Interim Advice Notes (IANs)

IANs are issued by the Highways Agency from time to time. They contain specific guidance,

which shall only be used in connection with works on motorways and trunk roads in England,

subject to any specific implementation instructions contained within an IAN.

The Network Maintenance Manual (NMM)

This Network Management Manual (NMM) provides advice, some mandatory instruction and

guidance on good practice for the management and provision of the routine and winter service on

the trunk road network. It generally describes the processes for the management of the mainte-

nance service including the interface between the Highways Agency, its service providers and

other stakeholders.

Further Technical Information

Information and downloads on forthcoming DMRB/MCHW documents, Road Restraints Sys-

tems, Eurocodes, Errant Vehicles, Air Quality and Gantries.

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CONCLUSION:

An adequate and efficient transport system is a pre-requisite for both initiating and sustaining

economic development. But it is a matter of great sorrow that the roads and highways of our

country are not up to the mark due to the implementation of poor engineering knowledge. In

Bangladesh, development and maintenance of transport infrastructure is essentially the

responsibilities of the public sector as are the provision of railways transportation services and

air transport. Despite that, we see flyover collapse, cracks in the bridges and roads which are

really unexpected. As a result, the economy of the country and the safety of the citizens are

really at stake. So, the government must keep an eye on the constructional work going across the

country in terms of roads and highways. We must remember, By endangering the roads, we will

endanger ourselves.

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RECOMMENDATION:

Some recommendations for road and transportation in Bangladesh are given below:

The Government provides a healthy amount of money for the construction of roads,

highways & flyovers. But due to lack of inspection, the total money is not properly used

by the companies. So inspection committees should be more strong and conscious.

The engineers covering the constructional work of highways and flyovers should be more

precise and scientific regarding the planning and design.

Digitalization of the traffic system should be the number one concern for the government

and it should be done as quickly as possible.

Anyone found guilty in terms of manupilating constructional materials and taking bribe

should be punished immediately.

The defective roads, bridges and flyovers should be marked and the government should

start the re-constructional work wasting no time so that no further casualties can occur.

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Appendix :.

1. When RHD (Roads & Highway Department was created in Bangladesh ?

a) 1987 b) 1965 c) 1962 d) 1972

2. What is the state owned corporation in Bangladesh ?

a) RHD b) BRTC c) RRP d) RAJUK

3. The length of all roads in Bangladesh is -

a) 21481.25 km b) 23654.45 km c) 45637.23 km d) 23145.876 km

4.Largest bridge in Bangladesh is -

a) Jamuna bridge b) Lalon Shah bridge c) Meghna bridge

d) Shah Amanat bridge

5. Access to all season roads in bangladesh in percentage is -

a) 45% b) 78% c)23% d) 39%

6. Largest flyover in Bangladesh is -

a) Kuril Flyover b) Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover c) Mohakhali Flyover

d) Khilgaon Flyover

7. What is the biggest upcoming project in Bangladesh ?

a) Dhaka -Chittagong access control highway b) Padma Bridge

c)Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover d) Dhaka -Shylhet access control highway

8. Length of Padma Bridge will be -

a) 7.2 km b) 4.9 km c) 6.15 km d) 8.2 km

9. Which flyover has recently collapsed ?

a) Mohakhali Flyover b) Bodderhat Flyover c) Jatrabari Flyover d) Kuril

Flyover

10. How many people died in that accident ?

a) 15 b) 46 c) 17 d) 34

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List Of References:

Overpass page on Wikipedia- http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpass

Mohakhali Flyover-

http://bd.geoview.info/mohakhali_flyover,32109000w

The Daily Star-

http://archive.thedailystar.net/2005/01/05/d50105250212

0.htm

Flyovers of Bangladesh- http://all-

bangladesh.com/beautiful-flyovers-in-bangladesh/

Bahaddarhat flyover collapse-

http://unbconnect.com/pm-bahaddarhat-

flyover/#&panel1-1

Jamuna Bridge-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamuna_Bridge

Road accidents-

http://www.rhd.gov.bd/Documents/RoadDesignAndSaf

ety/NationalRoadTrafficAccidentReport2007/National

RoadTrafficAccidentReport2007.pdf

The bdnews24.com online archive-

www.bangla.bdnews24.com

Prothom-Alo web archive- www.eprothom-alo.com

Kalerkantha web archive- www.kalerkantha.com

Picture sources- http://images.google.com

Traffic-jam in Dhaka City-

http://sifatuddin.wordpress.com

Wikitravel-http://wikitravel.org

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Glossary : ARC - Accident Research Centre (BUET)

BCL - Bangladesh Consultant Ltd

BJMB - Bangabandhu Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge

Broad gauge - 1.676-m gauge

BRTC - Bangladesh Road and Transport Corporation

DMRB - The Design Manual for Roads & Bridges

DTCB - Dhaka Urban transport Coordination Board

Flyover - An overpass that crosses over another road or railway

LGED - Local Government Engineering Department

MCHW - The Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works

Meter gauge- 1.000-m gauge

MRT - Mass Rapid Transit

N1 - Dhaka Chittagong National Highway

NMM - The Network Maintenance Manual

NOS - Number of span

RHD - The Roads and Highway Department (Responsible for the construction and the

maintenance of the major road and bridge network of Bangladesh)

STU - Shock transmission units

Trenches - Holes or hollowes in roads

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THE END

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