Tk 691.96b allocated for communication sector
Finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday proposed allocating Tk 384.9 billion for the road transport and highways division, Tk 119 billion for the railways ministry and Tk 60 billion for the bridges division in the financial year 2025-2026 (FY26).
In total the government allocated Tk 691.96 billion in communication infrastructure.
The road transport and highways got over Tk 3.53 billion more than the allocation in FY25.
The finance adviser disclosed this while presenting the proposed national budget in a pre-recorded broadcast on Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar.
"The government has taken steps to amend and update several laws, rules and policies to make the road transport system more sustainable, safe and environmentally friendly," he said in the budget speech.
Salehuddin Ahmed said the government has taken initiatives to update the existing 'Road Master Plan 2009' as a part of its commitment to building a sustainable, safe, cost-effective and environment-friendly road network.
Besides, preparation of the draft 'Highway Master Plan 2040' with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank was in its final stage, he said, adding: "To restructure the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, an initiative was taken to amend the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority Act2012 and enact a new ordinance on the Bangladesh Urban Transport Authority."
As part of the government's effort, BRTA issued Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines, 2024, which is monitoring implementation of the guidelines, while initiatives were taken to amend the Road Transport Act, 2018 and Road Transport Rules, 2022, the adviser said.
He added that a policy is being formulated to ensure discipline and safety in the management of electric three-wheelers. In addition, efforts were underway to introduce 400 electric buses in the transport system of Dhaka.
The finance adviser pointed out that the interim government carried out repair works quickly and cost-effectively using its own manpower at Mirpur-10 and Kazipara metro rail stations, which were damaged during the July Mass Uprising.
In addition, the project cost of the 'Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-5): Southern Route' could be reduced approximately by Tk 70 billion after reviewing the DPP of the project. Currently, the construction work of Dhaka MRT Line-1 and Line-5 (Northern Route) is underway, he said.
The adviser said although rail transport is popular all over the world, Bangladesh has not been able to achieve significant progress in this sector.
“We are determined to bring about a fundamental change in this situation. To this end, as per the 30-year Railway Master Plan, steps have been taken to construct railway double line track, unify gauges, introduce modern signaling system, improve rail communication with seaports, introduce upgraded locomotives and electric traction. Besides, initiatives have been taken to establish a new unit and to modernise the existing locomotive workshops to develop capacity of assembling railway coaches and wagons within the country.”
He said the the project titled ‘Construction of Rail cum Road Bridge over Karnaphuli River at Kalurghat’ at a cost of around Tk 115.61 billion has commenced. Besides, rail communication from Dhaka to Jashore via Bhanga has resumed and rail service has started following the completion of the construction of the Jamuna Railway Bridge.
Besides significant modernisation push in rail transport, initiatives to reduce unnecessary expenditure in this sector have also been continued, he said.
“According to the revised DPP of the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link (2nd Revised)’ project, its implementation cost has been reduced by approximately Tk 622 crore (Tk 6.22 billion). Similarly, the cost of the project "Construction of Single Line Dual Gauge Track from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar via Ramu and Ramu to Gundum near Myanmar (2nd revised)" has been reduced by approximately Tk 6,699 crore (around Tk 70 billion).