The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has announced plans to widen the Bhanga-Jashore-Benapole highway into a six-lane corridor over the next five years. This development aims to boost cross-border trade in the country, particularly among South Asian nations. The project, supported by an Indian Line of Credit (LoC), will transform the 129.17-kilometer road into four lanes with additional service lanes for slow-moving vehicles.
The upgraded highway will connect Bangladesh with neighboring India through the Padma Bridge, replacing the existing two-lane corridor. The RHD has submitted a proposal worth Tk 138.41 billion to the Planning Commission for approval. The project is expected to be completed by June 2028. As proposed, Tk 110.825 billion of the total project cost will be bankrolled from the Indian LoC-III and the remaining Tk 27.58 billion from the government’s internal resources.
Apart from widening the road, the RHD plans to construct overpasses, flyovers, bridges, culverts, and other necessary infrastructure. This expanded highway, part of the Asian Highways (AH)-01 and the SASEC Road Corridor-02, will improve regional connectivity, facilitate trade, and link the Mongla seaport with western frontiers. The project is also set to benefit landlocked countries like Nepal and Bhutan, who have expressed interest in utilizing the Mongla port for their overseas trade.
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