Govt plans second Padma, Jamuna bridges with Chinese funding

The government has taken initiative to bring in fresh large-scale Chinese investment for the country’s infrastructure sector. A list of approximately 20 projects, including the construction of a second Padma Bridge and a second Jamuna Bridge, along with various road and rail projects, has been prepared.

These will be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office. Sources said the financing of these projects may be discussed during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to China.

According to sources of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, implementing these projects could cost several trillion taka. However, not all projects on the list are expected to receive funding, nor are all of them likely to be implemented immediately. Priority is expected to be given to projects included in the BNP’s election manifesto.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Kuala Lumpur on 21 and 22 June for a two-day trip. From there, he is expected to travel to China. This will be Tarique Rahman’s first foreign visit since assuming the office of Prime Minister four months ago.

Sources concerned said the Bridges Division has submitted nine projects in total for possible implementation with Chinese financing. Among them is the construction of a second Jamuna Bridge between Dewanganj in Jamalpur and Balasi Ghat in Gaibandha, a project included in the BNP’s election manifesto.

Officials said feasibility studies are currently underway on three possible alignments for the second Jamuna Bridge. One proposed route would connect Sariakandi in Bogura with Madarganj in Jamalpur across the Jamuna River, while another would run between Balasi Ghat in Gaibandha and Dewanganj in Jamalpur.

At present, the existing Jamuna Bridge, linking Bhuapur in Tangail with Sirajganj Sadar, carries an average of around 23,000 vehicles daily. The number nearly doubles during Eid holidays, often resulting in severe congestion on the four-lane bridge.

Alongside the second Jamuna Bridge, the construction of a second Padma Bridge has also been identified as a priority among the projects proposed for Chinese funding. The proposed bridge would connect Paturia in Manikganj with Daulatdia in Rajbari.

The Paturia–Daulatdia route was considered during the planning stage of the original Padma Bridge. However, the government ultimately selected the Mawa–Zajira alignment. The bridge was opened in 2022.
The BNP’s election manifesto includes a commitment to build a second Padma Bridge between Paturia and Daulatdia.

The BNP's election manifesto includes a pledge to construct an elevated expressway between Dhaka and Chattogram. The Bridges Division has included this project in its list and urged the government to secure Chinese funding for its implementation.

The Dhaka-Chattogram highway, which connects the capital with the country’s primary seaport, currently handles over 30,000 vehicles daily.
Recognising the surge in traffic, an initiative was taken in 2004 to construct a controlled-access road. In 2008, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded a feasibility study and the detailed design.

By March 2013, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The 217-kilometer expressway was then estimated to cost $2.5 billion.

However, the project was scrapped by the then-government in 2021.
Despite the setback, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) remains keen on the project and has finalised plans to expand the existing four-lane highway into a 10-lane corridor. Meanwhile, the Bridges Division has proposed constructing the route as an elevated expressway.

To alleviate the capital’s crippling traffic congestion, a proposal for constructing an underground subway system in Dhaka has also been put forward for Chinese funding. The Bridges Division has already completed a feasibility study for the project.

The study recommends building a 238-kilometer subway network across 11 routes. In the first phase, four of these routes are planned for construction, with an estimated cost of approximately Tk 34,000 crore.
Additionally, plans are in place for a 39-kilometer elevated expressway stretching from Savar’s Hemayetpur through Keraniganj to Narayanganj’s Langalband.

A feasibility study for this project was conducted in 2017. The report noted that this expressway would significantly reduce the traffic burden on Dhaka city and provide a direct link to the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway. The estimated cost of the project is around Tk 25,000 crore.

The Bridges Division’s list also includes a bridge connecting Pabna -Rajbari and the construction of a second Muktarpur Bridge.

The existing Muktarpur Bridge, connecting Narayanganj and Munshiganj, was built with a Chinese grant. China later provided free repairs for the structure. The China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has already funded its own feasibility study for a second bridge. Now, the Bridges Division is seeking Chinese financing to bring the second Munshiganj-Narayanganj link to life.

Furthermore, the division aims to implement two projects under Chinese funding focused on bridge research and institutional capacity building.
China has a strong track record in Bangladesh’s mega-infrastructure. The Karnaphuli Tunnel was built with Chinese financing and work on the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway is currently underway.

Meanwhile, the under-construction Dhaka Elevated Expressway from the airport to Jatrabari, a public-private partnership project where vehicles are already using the Airport-Tejgaon section, is also being built by a Chinese firm.

Bangladesh Railway has selected five key projects for Chinese financing, including the ongoing Padma Bridge Rail Link project. The Padma Rail Link is being implemented under a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement and is currently 98 per cent complete. Although the project''s tenure expires this June, officials plan to discuss a one-year extension and the release of the remaining unused Chinese loan.

According to Ministry of Railways sources, there is a severe shortage of meter-gauge locomotives. During the tenure of the previous interim government, China had promised to provide 20 meter-gauge engines as a grant. A project proposal worth Tk 1,635 crore was subsequently sent to the Economic Relations Division (ERD). The railway authorities now intend to implement this through the promised Chinese grant.

Ministry officials noted that the project to convert the meter-gauge track from Brahmanbaria’s Akhaura to Sylhet into a dual-gauge line (suitable for both meter-gauge and broad-gauge trains) has been pending for years. Approved in 2019 for G2G implementation with China at an estimated cost of Tk 16,104 crore, the project stalled after the then-government raised allegations of inflated costs, leading China to withdraw.The project involves converting 239.14 kilometers of primary and branch lines.

Railway sources said that during the interim government last year, the Chinese firm China Railway Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co. expressed renewed interest in the project. This firm was nominated by China in 2017, under a framework where China Exim Bank provides the loan and the company executes the work.

The railway authorities are keen to secure Chinese funding for this route as the Akhaura-Sylhet track has been in a dilapidated state for a long time. Maintenance was reportedly neglected in anticipation of the mega-project, making it impossible to launch new trains or increase speeds on this vital corridor.

Another long-standing proposal involves constructing a second dual-gauge line alongside the existing track from Gazipur’s Joydebpur to Jamalpur via Mymensingh. Originally planned as a G2G venture, China withdrew from the project during the Awami League''s tenure. China Railway International Group had initially wanted to implement the project. In December 2024, the interim government formed a committee to resume discussions with the Chinese firm.

Additionally, the railway plans to import 200 meter-gauge coaches at an estimated cost of Tk 2,366 crore. Officials believe that if the project is implemented with a Chinese loan, several new train services can be introduced. Bangladesh Railway is also seeking Chinese financing to establish a modern railway workshop in Rajbari.

RHD seeks Chinese funding for Lohalia bridge, expressway expansion
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is seeking Chinese investment for several new infrastructure projects, including the construction of a new ‘friendship bridge'' and the expansion of the country’s expressway network.

According to RHD sources, eight bridges have been built across Bangladesh so far using Chinese grants. During Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to Beijing, the department plans to propose the construction of another China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge. The proposed bridge would be built over the Lohalia River, connecting Bauphal and Dumki in Patuakhali.

RHD has already completed feasibility studies and detailed designs for five other major bridges across the country. Although preliminary project proposals are ready, implementation has been stalled due to a lack of foreign funding. The department is now looking to secure Chinese financing to bring these five projects to life.

In addition to bridge construction, RHD is seeking technical assistance from China for the expansion of new expressways nationwide. The department also aims to secure support for a comprehensive plan to construct bridges over all major rivers in the country.

Transport expert and professor of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Shamsul Hoque, told Prothom Alo that the previous Awami League government had undertaken projects worth around $46 billion, many of which were poorly planned. He said the same mistake should not be repeated.

According to him, if a project is service-oriented, authorities should determine how the service will be delivered before implementation begins. For infrastructure projects, planners must also consider the supporting facilities and connectivity required to maximize their benefits. Otherwise, the full benefits of large-scale projects cannot be achieved.

He cited the example of the Padma Bridge and the Dhaka–Mawa Expressway. While both projects have been completed, Dhaka has yet to develop the planned ring road or inner circular road network. As a result, severe congestion continues on the Jatrabari–Gulistan flyover corridor.

Shamsul Hoque also noted that China has made rapid progress in electrification and said Bangladesh could seek Chinese support for an integrated initiative to improve public transportation in the capital, Dhaka.