Govt. contemplates ‘Last-Mile’ connectivity mega project for rural road development

The government is contemplating a mega project for rural road development as part of its effort to ensure "last mile" connectivity. Under this project, road infrastructure in rural areas will be kept suitable for traffic to maintain the country's economic dynamism. Additionally, by reconstructing bridges and culverts on village roads, the project aims to preserve road infrastructure assets, reduce the extent of damage and accumulated rehabilitation works on rural roads, and ensure safe, orderly, and proper transport facilities for all types of vehicles in rural areas. To this end, the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives is undertaking a project titled "Reconstruction and Strengthening of Rural Roads."

The implementation cost has been estimated at Tk 4,963 crore and 67 lakh. The Planning Commission is preparing to present the project at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) scheduled for next Wednesday, August 19. The meeting, to be held at the Secretariat, will be chaired by Prime Minister and Ecnec Chairperson Tarique Rahman. If approved, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) will implement the project starting this year, with a completion deadline of June 2030.

Planning Commission member (Secretary) of the Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division, Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan, said that the government has undertaken such a project to facilitate communication and increase economic capacity. According to him, rehabilitating the rural network across the country will make the communication system easier and more sustainable, thereby expanding economic activities in the project areas. The project will play a supportive role in improving the living standards of poor communities and alleviating poverty in the regions. Considering these factors, it has been recommended to present the project to Ecnec as being approvable.

The Local Government Division said that Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated and rapidly advancing developing countries in the world. About 70 percent of the country's population lives in villages. The development of rural infrastructure is directly linked to improving the fortunes of the rural population. Under LGED, there are a total of 410,530 kilometres of roads of various classes in rural areas across the country. Of these, the current length of paved roads is approximately 167,181 kilometres. This includes 34,567 kilometres of upazila roads, 4,382 kilometres of union roads, and 98,232 kilometres of village roads. On these roads, there are 219,971 metres of bridges and culverts on village roads alone.

Furthermore, out of the total of over 98,000 kilometres of paved village roads, 31,434 kilometres are damaged. Under the proposed project, after scrutiny and prioritisation, the project has been proposed for the reconstruction of 5,220 kilometres of village roads and 7,000 metres of the most severely damaged bridges and culverts on village roads.

According to Planning Commission sources, the third chapter of the current government's election manifesto states the commitment to ensuring "last mile" connectivity in remote areas of the country. The project activities are consistent with the goals described in the second chapter, which include poverty alleviation, agricultural development, and nationwide employment generation. Additionally, the objectives and goals of the project align with the Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 1, which aims to end all forms of poverty everywhere; Goal 2, which aims to promote sustainable agriculture; and Goal 9, which aims to ensure economic growth and development through sustainable industrialisation, innovative technology, and the development of affordable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure. For these reasons, the project is being presented to Ecnec. It will be implemented in 495 upazilas across all 64 districts of the country.